They suspend the use of the “suicide capsule” pending a criminal investigation after the death of an American woman

(Associated Press) – Advocacy groups for a so-called suicide capsule said Sunday they have suspended the process of accepting applications for its use (which numbered more than 370 last month) while a criminal investigation into its first use in Switzerland is completed.

The president of Switzerland-based The Last Resort, Florian Willet, is in custody, said the group and Exit International, a subsidiary founded in Australia more than a quarter of a century ago.

Swiss police arrested Willet and several others following the death of an unidentified 64-year-old woman from the Midwestern United States who on September 23 became the first person to use the device, known as “Sarco,” in a forest in the northern region of Schaffhausen, near the German border.

Other people initially detained were released, authorities said.

Switzerland has one of the most permissive laws in the world when it comes to assisted suicide, although the first use of Sarco has sparked debate among lawmakers.

The laws of the wealthy Alpine country allow assisted suicide as long as the person takes their own life without “external assistance” and those who help the person die do not do so for “any selfish reason.”

The advocacy groups said in a statement Sunday that 371 people were “in the process of applying” to use the Sarco in Switzerland as of Sept. 23 and applications were suspended after its first use.

Exit International, whose founder Dr. Philip Nitschke is based in the Netherlands, is behind the 3D-printed device that cost more than $1 million to develop.

The Sarco capsule is designed to allow a person sitting in a reclining seat inside to press a button that injects nitrogen gas from a tank below into the sealed chamber, allowing the person to fall asleep and then die from asphyxiation within minutes. .

Editor’s note: If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health issues, please call the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988 to connect with a trained counselor, or visit the website. 988 Lifeline. For suicide prevention and support resources in Spain and Latin America, visit this website.