Wendy Duffy, 56, a former care worker from the West Midlands, died at the Pegasos clinic in Basel on 24 April, four years after the death of her only child, Marcus, aged 23. Marcus died after choking on a sandwich, which starved his brain of oxygen. Duffy, who was physically healthy, had previously attempted to take her own life.
Ruedi Habegger, founder of Pegasos, described her death as a 'sane suicide', confirming that the procedure was completed without incident and in full compliance with her wishes. He stated that professional staff had no doubt as to her intention, understanding, and independence of thought and action.
Duffy paid £10,000 to Pegasos and informed her siblings of her application. She said, 'My life, my choice. I wish this was available in the UK, then I wouldn't have to go to Switzerland at all.' The case comes as assisted dying legislation in England and Wales ran out of time to be passed by parliament. The terminally ill adults (end of life) bill, which had been progressing for 18 months, fell on Friday after failing to reach a vote in the Lords. The bill would have allowed adults with fewer than six months to live to apply for an assisted death, subject to approvals, but Duffy's case would not have met these conditions.
In 2024, a 29-year-old Dutch woman was granted assisted dying on grounds of unbearable mental suffering under a 2002 law in the Netherlands.
