This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Assisted suicide is morally and ethically controversial. Public debate on the topic tends to arise primarily when a high-profile case comes to light—as was most recently the case with the famous twins Alice and Ellen Kessler.
While assisted suicide is permitted in Germany, it is scarcely regulated by law. Until now, there has been little scientifically validated data on the current practice of assisted suicide. In recent years, various research teams have set out to shed light on the issue.
Among them is a team from the Institute of General Medicine and Palliative Care at Hannover Medical School (MHH). In the project "Assisted Suicide in Germany—Research on Practice (ASEP)," Dr. Sven Schwabe and his colleagues aim to learn more about the practical procedures, the people involved, the challenges and how assisted suicide fits into the health care system.
The work is published in the journal PLOS ONE. "Killing on demand" is prohibited in Germany, but assisted suicide is permitted. The legal situation regarding assisted suicide is outlined in a February 2020 ruling.
"The right to a self-determined life includes the freedom to take one's own life," the Federal Constitutional Court ruled at the time. This freedom also encompasses the freedom "to seek help from third parties for this purpose and to accept such help, insofar as it is offered." A prerequisite is always that the person wishing to die has made their decision of their own free will and independently ingests the substance used for suicide. With regard to those providing assistance, the following applies: "No one can be compelled to provide assisted suicide." Whether someone wishes to provide assistance is a question that each person must decide for themselves.
Since May 2021, there has been no professional prohibition against physicians assisting in suicide. However, assisted suicide is not part of a physician's professional duties. In its February 2020 ruling, the Federal Constitutional Court granted lawmakers the authority to revise the regulations governing assisted suicide.
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