Man's death to be shown on TV

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2019734.ece

THESE shocking pictures reveal the moment a man kills himself at a suicide clinic in Switzerland.

The chilling scenes show Craig Ewert, 59, who had motor neurone disease, setting a timer to switch off his ventilator before drinking lethal sedatives.

And it will all be broadcast on British TV tomorrow night.

Mr Ewert's assisted suicide at the Swiss Dignitas clinic, was filmed for a documentary called Right To Die - The Suicide Tourist, to be shown on Sky Real Lives channel on Wednesday night.

It will be the first time an assisted suicide has been shown on British TV and will be sure to spark debate over the legality of the sensitive subject - as well as the controversial decision to screen it.

The retired university professor and dad-of-two decided to end his life as his illness was crippling his body.

Mr Ewert said: 'I am tired of the disease but I am not tired of living. I still enjoy life enough that I would like to continue but the thing is that I really cannot.

'If I opt for life then that is choosing to be tortured rather than end this journey and start the next one. I cannot take the risk.

'Let's face it, when you're completely paralysed and cannot talk how do you let somebody know you are suffering? This could be a complete and utter hell.

'You can watch only so much of yourself drain away before you look at what is left and say "This is an empty shell."

'Once I become completely paralysed then I am nothing more than a living tomb that takes in nutrients through a tube in the stomach - it's painful.'

‘ Let's face it, when you're completely paralysed and cannot talk how do you let somebody know you are suffering? ’

Assisted suicide is legal in Switzerland and Mr Ewert passed away peacefully holding his wife, Mary's hand.

But TV watchdogs have slammed the decision to broadcast the scenes.

John Beyer director of Mediawatch UK said:'This subject is something that is quite an important political issue at the moment and my anxieties are that the programme will influence public opinion.

'If this programme is not impartial and promotes euthanasia then it would be in breach of the act - in short it must not influence members of the public or a change in the law.'

Mr Ewert paid the Dignitas clinic £3,000 for the suicide, cremation and to ship his ashes back to the UK.

The people involved in making the film, including Oscar-winning director John Zaritsky, were all affected by the traumatic job.

Co-producer Terence McKeown said: 'It was an incredibly difficult experience for all of us. I think we’ve all suffered a bit of post-traumatic stress from it.

'It was profound and stayed with all of us, more so because we spent the previous few days with Craig, travelled with him to Zurich and got to know him quite well.

'He should have been able to do it at his home. He argued that it is quite inhumane to force people in various states of illness to go to a little apartment in a foreign city to die.'

Wow. How emotive. I believe in people's right to die, (if of course they are suffering).

I don;t know if I could watch it though.

eddie wrote:Wow. How emotive. I believe in people's right to die, (if of course they are suffering).

I don;t know if I could watch it though.

My dad has this disease...yes its totally degrading but he still has the will to live...for all the family!

Ambersuz wrote:

eddie wrote:Wow. How emotive. I believe in people's right to die, (if of course they are suffering).

I don;t know if I could watch it though.

My dad has this disease...yes its totally degrading but he still has the will to live...for all the family!

I can understand people who get to the point of 'having enough'. I guess it is our right to choose when we want to leave this earth.

Your dad sounds like a real fighter...God Bless him x

eddie wrote:

Ambersuz wrote:

eddie wrote:Wow. How emotive. I believe in people's right to die, (if of course they are suffering).

I don;t know if I could watch it though.

My dad has this disease...yes its totally degrading but he still has the will to live...for all the family!

I can understand people who get to the point of 'having enough'. I guess it is our right to choose when we want to leave this earth.

Your dad sounds like a real fighter...God Bless him x

He is a fighter and thats what keeps him going strong...he cant eat unaided or walk alone or talk but he still smiles and chuckles at my nonsense!

But I agree it is our right to say we are done but not on fricking TV when everyone is watching for heavens sake!

Ambersuz wrote:

eddie wrote:

Ambersuz wrote:

eddie wrote:Wow. How emotive. I believe in people's right to die, (if of course they are suffering).

I don;t know if I could watch it though.

My dad has this disease...yes its totally degrading but he still has the will to live...for all the family!

I can understand people who get to the point of 'having enough'. I guess it is our right to choose when we want to leave this earth.

Your dad sounds like a real fighter...God Bless him x

He is a fighter and thats what keeps him going strong...he cant eat unaided or walk alone or talk but he still smiles and chuckles at my nonsense!

But I agree it is our right to say we are done but not on fricking TV when everyone is watching for heavens sake!

I agree! I don't want to sit and watch a man die!

Your dad sounds lovely Amber, truly. What a lovely thing, to still sit and smile at your daughter when all else is failing....shows he still has the want to look at you all and love you all...

Does he realise you are a dizzy blonde??

eddie wrote:

Ambersuz wrote:

eddie wrote:

Ambersuz wrote:

eddie wrote:Wow. How emotive. I believe in people's right to die, (if of course they are suffering).

I don;t know if I could watch it though.

My dad has this disease...yes its totally degrading but he still has the will to live...for all the family!

I can understand people who get to the point of 'having enough'. I guess it is our right to choose when we want to leave this earth.

Your dad sounds like a real fighter...God Bless him x

He is a fighter and thats what keeps him going strong...he cant eat unaided or walk alone or talk but he still smiles and chuckles at my nonsense!

But I agree it is our right to say we are done but not on fricking TV when everyone is watching for heavens sake!

I agree! I don't want to sit and watch a man die!

Your dad sounds lovely Amber, truly. What a lovely thing, to still sit and smile at your daughter when all else is failing....shows he still has the want to look at you all and love you all...

Does he realise you are a dizzy blonde??

I can honestly say that my father is the best person I know....and I am not saying that because he is ill and I know he has little time left...I honestly mean it! He does not have one enemy in this world!

And yes he knows I am a dizzy blonde....and loves it!

I actually take the piss out of him when I see him in his turbo chair and he laughs so much at it! I told you I dont deal with illnesses real good so I make jokes about it...thats how I deal with it!

Ambersuz wrote:

eddie wrote:

Ambersuz wrote:

eddie wrote:

Ambersuz wrote:

eddie wrote:Wow. How emotive. I believe in people's right to die, (if of course they are suffering).

I don;t know if I could watch it though.

My dad has this disease...yes its totally degrading but he still has the will to live...for all the family!

I can understand people who get to the point of 'having enough'. I guess it is our right to choose when we want to leave this earth.

Your dad sounds like a real fighter...God Bless him x

He is a fighter and thats what keeps him going strong...he cant eat unaided or walk alone or talk but he still smiles and chuckles at my nonsense!

But I agree it is our right to say we are done but not on fricking TV when everyone is watching for heavens sake!

I agree! I don't want to sit and watch a man die!

Your dad sounds lovely Amber, truly. What a lovely thing, to still sit and smile at your daughter when all else is failing....shows he still has the want to look at you all and love you all...

Does he realise you are a dizzy blonde??

I can honestly say that my father is the best person I know....and I am not saying that because he is ill and I know he has little time left...I honestly mean it! He does not have one enemy in this world!

And yes he knows I am a dizzy blonde....and loves it!

I actually take the piss out of him when I see him in his turbo chair and he laughs so much at it! I told you I dont deal with illnesses real good so I make jokes about it...thats how I deal with it!

Whatever gets you through x
He is lucky to have you and you are lucky to have him xx

It is such a shame people have to travel to switzerland to do this. I hope my family would help me if it came to it.

This is how viewers will tonight see paralysed Craig Ewert take his own life – as his assisted suicide is screened on TV.

Craig, 59, travelled from his home in Yorkshire to a Swiss suicide clinic because he did not want to be trapped in a body he described as “a living tomb.”

But yesterday a row was raging over whether Sky TV’s decision to film and show the suicide was designed to encourage a debate about euthanasia – or ghoulishly boost its ratings.

I can understand him not wanting to continue suffering but wheres the dignity in being remembered for this televised suicide? Its sick to me.