On Wednesday, the Federal Constitutional Court acknowledged the risks of abuse but nonetheless ruled that individuals have a right to determine their own death.

Responding to the shock decision, Felix Böllmann, a German lawyer and Legal Counsel for ADF International said laws protecting every human life must be strengthened rather than weakened to protect the sick, the suffering, and the most vulnerable.

Böllmann said that in a fair and just society, the most vulnerable deserve our care and respect, but, he added, this decision sends the opposite message.