On Monday 3 July, the trial concerning Alex S. took place at the District Court of Den Bosch. Alex S. is suspected of helping ten people commit suicide by providing 'substance X' from June 2018 to May 2021. In total, some 700 people are alleged to have gotten their hands on the drug through Alex S. Martin Buijsen, Professor of Health Law at Erasmus School of Law, talks in Eén Vandaag about the trial and the consequences of substance X for both the users and wider society.
Assisted suicide is punishable, substance X is not (yet)
'Substance X' is a term for a number of toxic substances used, among others, by the chemical industry. It refers to a combination of substances used as preservatives, among other things. A person can take this along with an anti-seizure drug, suffer an oxygen deficiency in the cells and then fall into a coma. Two hours later, the heart stops beating. An antidote to the drug does not exist. The drug promises people a humane end, but in practice turns out to result in agony. Alex S. initially sold substance X via Marktplaats and eventually distributed it to anyone who emailed him. The public prosecutor's office launched an investigation into Alex S. two years ago.
Because the substance itself is not punishable, Alex S.'s lawsuit revolves around whether providing it suffices as assisted suicide. "In principle, assisting suicide is principle, unless it is done by a doctor who adheres to standards of care, tests himself and is tested. That, of course, is something Alex S. does not do and has never done. This can be quite risky for vulnerable people", Buijsen explains.
An alternative but subversive route
Nevertheless, substance X is in high demand: people with an interest feel that the current Euthanasia Act containing all the conditions for euthanasia or assisted suicide is not accessible enough. Substance X offers these people an alternative way out. Experts like Buijsen, however, are critical and think the remedy should be addressed: "If one were to let this run, somewhere you get an undermining of the Euthanasia Act that we know is careful. And if a parallel route is created where people quite easily provide that substance X with impunity, then a lot of good will be lost."
Two weeks from now, the Den Bosch District Court will rule on the case of Alex S.
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Thinking about suicide or worried about someone else? Call 0800-0113 of chat via www.113.nl.
Listen to the fragment of EenVandaag here (from 4:37 onwards (in Dutch).
