Tuesday 26 January 2010

ASSISTED SUICIDE

Yesterday, Kay Gilderdale was found not guilty of the attempted murder of her daughter Lyn. Lyn had tried to kill herself but didn't believe she'd taken enough morphine and asked her mother for help which she duly gave. While Kay admitted to assisting the suicide of her daughter, the Crown Prosecution Service insisted on the charge of attempted murder.

The jury found her not guilty and the judge praised them for their common sense, decency and humanity. The verdict was correct and so was the judge in his remarks. He then gave her a one year conditional discharge for her guilty plea to assisted suicide.

This brave woman was freed because she had the compassion to help her lucid and coherent daughter to die as she wished and the jury recognised this. Let's hope that this now sparks a rational debate on the subject of suicide and assisted suicide. It's long overdue.

Mrs Gilderdale did the right thing and I hope she can now get on with her life and recover from the nightmare the Crown Prosecution Service imposed on her.

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