Dutch police arrest two people in connection with killing on demand

The arrested people are a 72-year-old woman and a 78-year-old man. This summer, a 28-year-old man was arrested. He is due to appear in court next week on Wednesday when more will become clear about the investigation. All three are connected to the Last Will Society.

Criminal organisation

Although in the Netherlands there is a liberal policy on euthanasia and assisted suicide, the police are speaking about the Last Will Society as being a "criminal organisation whose aim is to commit or plot suicide".

The woman was arrested last Monday on suspicion of dealing in medicine that reduces the urge to vomit. Doctors and pharmacists may only dispense this drug. She is also suspected of assisting suicide, but it is not clear how many people. Her pre-trial detention was extended by ten days on Thursday.

The man was arrested on Tuesday and is now at large again. His exact role is still under investigation, according to the Public Prosecutor.

Six people would have died

Last July, the police arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of selling "suicide pills" to hundreds of people. He was also a member of Last Will. According to the judiciary, at least six people died from the drugs he supplied. The investigation against the man started after the death of a woman in May of this year.

The Last Will Society was founded in 2013 and says it wants to make it possible, within the law, for people to end their lives in a dignified and safe way.

The chairman, Jos van Wijk, was also arrested earlier. On Dutch television, the 73-year-old explained earlier this month that his group is contacted usually by "hundreds, thousands of elderly people". According to the police, the suicide pills were also in the hands of young people. Suicide among young adults is a real problem in the Netherlands.

Although Van Wijk is at large, he is still a suspect. The accusation is that he is part of a criminal organisation that aims to commit or plot to commit assisted suicide.

Van Wijk says that he and his organisation have always "acted within the law". The group stopped holding so-called living-room meetings because members would exchange life-ending drugs with each other. Van Wijk said in a newspaper interview that his group "was forced" to distribute suicide powders in secret because of the police activities.

Termination is still forbidden

In 2002, the Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalise euthanasia. Assisted suicide is part of that legislation. The character of the law is that termination of life is still forbidden but won't be prosecuted if the doctor acts within the rules of due care. The first rule is that the request for termination comes from the patient.

According to the law, all cases of euthanasia must be reviewed afterwards by regional committees. Sometimes there is debate whether this really happens. Another point of criticism is that the interpretation of the due care rules is constantly widening.