Organized and commercial euthanasia

Demanding the permission to decide about one’s own death is currently leading to approaches for an organized and/or a commercially conducted euthanasia in Germany. As opposed to commercially conducted euthanasia which is trade-oriented, organized euthanasia is performed by associations. For example, “Sterbehilfe Deutschland e.V.” is an organization for euthanasia founded by the former senator of justice of Hamburg Roger Kusch. After the administrative court prohibited him from providing commercial assisted suicide in 2007, he converted his organization into a registered association. In exchange for an annual member payment or a one-time payment for a lifetime membership, the association offers consultation and guidance in the case of implementing one’s own wish to die. This offer, according to Kusch, does not imply an active participation or a profit orientation in the punishable sense.

A draft law on the prohibition of commercial assisted suicide was discussed in the Federal Council in 2008, but its adoption was not implemented. In its coalition agreement, the coalition of CDU/CSU and FDP during the legislative period 2009-2013 stipulated the prohibition of commercially conducted euthanasia. The attempt to arrive to new legal regulation of euthanasia failed in 2012 though. Hence, the new coalition of CDU/CSU and SPD stipulated that the Bundestag shall vote in the legislative period 2013-2017 on a ban of both the commercial as well as the organized assisted suicide. On 13 November, 2014 the first Bundestag debate concerning the question whether and how the law maker shall regulate euthanasia in the future took place. On 5 November, 2015 the Bundestag voted in favour of a law proposal by the member group lead by Michael Brand (CDU) and Kerstin Griese (SPD) by which the businesslike assistance of suicide is to be prohibited. "Businesslike" is here understood as the repeated acting of associations and individuals.

Four hour long debate of the Bundestag on assisted suicide and euthanasia Online Version (German)

Law proposal by the member group lead by Michael Brand (CDU) and Kerstin Griese (SPD) Online Version (German)

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