Adults in Austria who are terminally ill or have a permanent, debilitating condition, can now avail of assisted suicide. The new law came into effect on Saturday. In countries like Belgium and Netherlands, the numbers availing of assisted suicide have increased massively since its introduction and the grounds have expanded under which a person can access it.
Parliament approved the new law in December, following a constitutional court ruling on the issue.
The new rules explicitly exclude minors or those with mental health conditions.
An absolute ban on assisted suicide was lifted by a federal court last year, which ruled that it “violated the right of self-determination”.
But the legal punishment up to that point, up to five years in prison, will remain in place for those who kill another person at their “serious and emphatic request”.
