Bells
Staff member
We awoke this morning, to a controversy.
Dr Philip Nitschke, a euthanasia advocate who heads an organisation called Exit International which handles queries about suicides for the elderly and terminally ill, has apparently provided advice to a 45 year old man, Nigel Brayley, suffering from depression and suicidal, after his wife's murder in 2011, who went on to kill himself using an illegally imported euthanasia drug, Nembutal. He is survived by his current wife. The death of his first wife, Lina Brayley, was deemed suspicious and the police were still investigating her death, under the belief that she had been murdered. This follows the disappearance of a previous girlfriend in 2007, who is still missing:
Nigel Brayley killed himself in May of this year, after illegally importing the euthanasia drug, Nembutal. And here lies the issue of this particular case.
Nigel Brayley had communicated with Dr Nitschke quite extensively and had attended a workshop by Exit International and had also met and spoken to Dr Nitschke at this workshop. He had also joined the organisation and become a member.
He was identified by Dr Nitschke as being depressed and suicidal. He had also advised Dr Nitschke that he intended to commit suicide. Dr Nitschke also knew and was aware that Mr Brayley was not terminally ill or 'ill', with the exception of his depression and suicidal thoughts. Now, if you are depressed and your doctor knows this, or you visit a health care professional or meet with one and they become aware that you are depressed and suicidal, they will refer you to adequate help and counseling. Even hospitalisation in some instances. This is a basic standard of care in Australia. Not so with Mr Brayley and his ongoing communication and meeting with Dr Nitschke. Dr Nitschke appears to have provided Mr Brayley with advice on how to commit suicide.
This is what Dr Nitschke had to say about Mr Brayley's suicide:
It needs to be said, that I am a firm supporter of euthanasia and I do believe it should be legal, because no person nearing the end of their life, either by age or illness, should have that decision to die with dignity stripped from them. I think it is the ultimate cruelty to force someone who is in pain, etc, to continue to live their last few days with even more pain and zero dignity. I've faced what could lead one to make such a decision and for me, it was absolute. I would not want to be forced to live in pain and without dignity in those last moments.
However this case... This case just seems wrong, for a variety of reasons.
Depression is treatable. It is not a terminal illness. Depression can make you see, think and believe things in a way that is, at its very core, soul shattering. What is down is now up and up now down. Everything becomes hard and impossible. I'm living it right now. But my doctor referred me to a therapist. I, like the many many others suffering from it, am getting help. In short, he treated it and me, without any loss of my dignity. At no time did he suggest or refer to ways in which I could kill myself, nor was that ever suggested as a solution or encouraged as a solution.
Dr Nitschke actively saw it as a solution to Mr Brayley's depression and spoke to him about it as a solution, as an exit. So much so that he failed to provide medical help to someone who clearly needed it, nor did he even refer him to a counselor. At the very least, his state of mind should raised a few eyebrows. Make that more than a few. Someone who is depressed is not going to be of sound mind to make this kind of decision.
The reaction was one of anger and disgust.
Beyond Blue spokesman, former Premier Jeff Kennett was appalled. Beyond Blue is an organisation that helps people with depression. Mr and Mrs O'Neal, friends of Mr Brayley were equally angry and disgusted.
Earlier this year, a 25 year old man killed himself after accessing Dr Nitschke's book on suicide, aimed at the over 50's and terminally ill. Joe Waterman was a happy and stable man, his family never saw a sign of his depression. Unbeknownst to them, he had ticked the 'I am over 50' box on Exit International's website and had obtained the booklet. Mr Waterman's mother is devastated and angry. Dr Nitschke was also angry at the dead man's deceit:
While I deplore Dr Nitschke's language at the relatives and loved ones of Joe Waterman, he is correct. His site operates on good faith. It was outside of his control that someone lied and was able to access and obtain his handbook.
However Joe Waterman's case is vastly different to that of Nigel Brayley. And this is where he contradicts himself in a way. Mr Waterman was obviously as depressed as Mr Brayley. I am left to wonder if he would have given the same advice to Joe Waterman as he gave to Nigel Brayley. Or is his hanger solely that he ticked the box when he was not in fact 50 or terminally ill?
I am not comfortable with euthanasia being used in this way. I am not comfortable that he is now using his brand and his organisation to give advice to people suffering from depression, on how to commit suicide. While it is possible Mr Brayley saw this as a way out because of the issues surrounding his wife's death and the possible feeling that he would be accused of it and his girlfriend's disappearance, euthanasia is not supposed to provide an out for things like this. There are so many things wrong with this case..
We are yet to see if Dr Nitschke is going to be investigated by the AMA or any other medical body in Western Australia for his role in Mr Brayler's suicide. I do, however, hope there is an investigation. At the very least, I don't think any doctor should be telling someone who is depressed of the best way to commit suicide. Or maybe it is just me. I don't know. But this case stinks to me. I get the whole 'it's my life and my body'. I really do get that. But this? This just feels wrong.
Dr Philip Nitschke, a euthanasia advocate who heads an organisation called Exit International which handles queries about suicides for the elderly and terminally ill, has apparently provided advice to a 45 year old man, Nigel Brayley, suffering from depression and suicidal, after his wife's murder in 2011, who went on to kill himself using an illegally imported euthanasia drug, Nembutal. He is survived by his current wife. The death of his first wife, Lina Brayley, was deemed suspicious and the police were still investigating her death, under the belief that she had been murdered. This follows the disappearance of a previous girlfriend in 2007, who is still missing:
THE widow of Perth man Nigel Brayley has accused the police of “harassing” her in their attempts to investigate Mr Brayley for the suspected murder of his former wife, Lina.
And Yari Permata Sari said her husband of 13 months “would never hurt anybody”.
Mr Brayley’s deceased wife, Lina Suria Brayley was found dead at the bottom of a 43m-high cliff in a Perth Hills quarry on February 27, 2011.
Her death originally was considered an accident, but last year police said they were treating it as suspected murder.
Ms Sari says her husband was taken into custody at that time, and had never got over the shock of waking up and seeing Perth’s media corps camped outside his house.
She said she believed Lina’s death was a tragic accident.
“It was an accident,” she said. “And I do believe that.”
She said Mr Brayley frequently spoke to her about Lina, and her pictures were still on display in their house.
“I know he loved her, he loved her probably right up to the day he died,” she said. “He would never hurt anybody.”
Mr Brayley married Indonesian-born Lina in 2007, two years after his previous live-in girlfriend vanished while he was working as Dili Airport manager. She is still missing.
The Australian Federal Police have travelled to Dili, at the request of WA Police, to investigate that disappearance.
And Yari Permata Sari said her husband of 13 months “would never hurt anybody”.
Mr Brayley’s deceased wife, Lina Suria Brayley was found dead at the bottom of a 43m-high cliff in a Perth Hills quarry on February 27, 2011.
Her death originally was considered an accident, but last year police said they were treating it as suspected murder.
Ms Sari says her husband was taken into custody at that time, and had never got over the shock of waking up and seeing Perth’s media corps camped outside his house.
She said she believed Lina’s death was a tragic accident.
“It was an accident,” she said. “And I do believe that.”
She said Mr Brayley frequently spoke to her about Lina, and her pictures were still on display in their house.
“I know he loved her, he loved her probably right up to the day he died,” she said. “He would never hurt anybody.”
Mr Brayley married Indonesian-born Lina in 2007, two years after his previous live-in girlfriend vanished while he was working as Dili Airport manager. She is still missing.
The Australian Federal Police have travelled to Dili, at the request of WA Police, to investigate that disappearance.
Nigel Brayley killed himself in May of this year, after illegally importing the euthanasia drug, Nembutal. And here lies the issue of this particular case.
Nigel Brayley had communicated with Dr Nitschke quite extensively and had attended a workshop by Exit International and had also met and spoken to Dr Nitschke at this workshop. He had also joined the organisation and become a member.
He was identified by Dr Nitschke as being depressed and suicidal. He had also advised Dr Nitschke that he intended to commit suicide. Dr Nitschke also knew and was aware that Mr Brayley was not terminally ill or 'ill', with the exception of his depression and suicidal thoughts. Now, if you are depressed and your doctor knows this, or you visit a health care professional or meet with one and they become aware that you are depressed and suicidal, they will refer you to adequate help and counseling. Even hospitalisation in some instances. This is a basic standard of care in Australia. Not so with Mr Brayley and his ongoing communication and meeting with Dr Nitschke. Dr Nitschke appears to have provided Mr Brayley with advice on how to commit suicide.
This is what Dr Nitschke had to say about Mr Brayley's suicide:
"If a 45-year-old comes to a rational decision to end his life, researches it in the way he does, meticulously, and decides that ... now is the time I wish to end my life, they should be supported. And we did support him in that," he said.
In the weeks before his death he told Dr Nitschke that he planned to take his own life.
"We had a lot of communication with Nigel, he'd been in touch with us for a while, he'd joined the organisation," Dr Nitschke said.
"When I went over to Perth he came along to the workshop, I had a talk to him.
"He was younger than the usual age, we have the usual age of 50. He came at a younger age, I think he was 45."
Dr Nitschke says it was not his job to do that, and says Mr Brayley was of sound mind when he made the decision to die.
"If a person comes along and says to me that they've made a rational decision to end their life in two weeks, I don't go along and say 'Oh have you made a rational decision? Do you think you better think about it? Why don't you go off and have a counsellor come along and talk to you?'' he said.
"We don't do that.
"If a person is so depressed that they have lost capacity, then they can't articulate anything," he added.
"The fact that he was so insightful in his decision to make this choice indicates to me that he was indeed a person who had not lost capacity.
"I'm not saying he wasn't depressed but was he so depressed that we should constrain him? Should we have certified him, should we have put him into a psychiatric institution, should we have restricted him in some way?"
Dr Nitschke said Mr Brayley was "not at that level" and "people like that should not have their freedom curtailed".
"I would object to that idea, you are saying he's depressed therefore we shouldn't talk to him. Everyone is depressed at times, and at this time this person fit that criteria."
In the weeks before his death he told Dr Nitschke that he planned to take his own life.
"We had a lot of communication with Nigel, he'd been in touch with us for a while, he'd joined the organisation," Dr Nitschke said.
"When I went over to Perth he came along to the workshop, I had a talk to him.
"He was younger than the usual age, we have the usual age of 50. He came at a younger age, I think he was 45."
Dr Nitschke says it was not his job to do that, and says Mr Brayley was of sound mind when he made the decision to die.
"If a person comes along and says to me that they've made a rational decision to end their life in two weeks, I don't go along and say 'Oh have you made a rational decision? Do you think you better think about it? Why don't you go off and have a counsellor come along and talk to you?'' he said.
"We don't do that.
"If a person is so depressed that they have lost capacity, then they can't articulate anything," he added.
"The fact that he was so insightful in his decision to make this choice indicates to me that he was indeed a person who had not lost capacity.
"I'm not saying he wasn't depressed but was he so depressed that we should constrain him? Should we have certified him, should we have put him into a psychiatric institution, should we have restricted him in some way?"
Dr Nitschke said Mr Brayley was "not at that level" and "people like that should not have their freedom curtailed".
"I would object to that idea, you are saying he's depressed therefore we shouldn't talk to him. Everyone is depressed at times, and at this time this person fit that criteria."
It needs to be said, that I am a firm supporter of euthanasia and I do believe it should be legal, because no person nearing the end of their life, either by age or illness, should have that decision to die with dignity stripped from them. I think it is the ultimate cruelty to force someone who is in pain, etc, to continue to live their last few days with even more pain and zero dignity. I've faced what could lead one to make such a decision and for me, it was absolute. I would not want to be forced to live in pain and without dignity in those last moments.
However this case... This case just seems wrong, for a variety of reasons.
Depression is treatable. It is not a terminal illness. Depression can make you see, think and believe things in a way that is, at its very core, soul shattering. What is down is now up and up now down. Everything becomes hard and impossible. I'm living it right now. But my doctor referred me to a therapist. I, like the many many others suffering from it, am getting help. In short, he treated it and me, without any loss of my dignity. At no time did he suggest or refer to ways in which I could kill myself, nor was that ever suggested as a solution or encouraged as a solution.
Dr Nitschke actively saw it as a solution to Mr Brayley's depression and spoke to him about it as a solution, as an exit. So much so that he failed to provide medical help to someone who clearly needed it, nor did he even refer him to a counselor. At the very least, his state of mind should raised a few eyebrows. Make that more than a few. Someone who is depressed is not going to be of sound mind to make this kind of decision.
The reaction was one of anger and disgust.
Beyond Blue spokesman, former Premier Jeff Kennett was appalled. Beyond Blue is an organisation that helps people with depression. Mr and Mrs O'Neal, friends of Mr Brayley were equally angry and disgusted.
But Mr O'Neil believes Dr Nitschke's organisation has moved into uncharted territory.
"I think most people would assume [Exit International's] role is quite clearly for people who are terminally ill, suffering, reaching the end of their life," he said.
"Not for people who are going through a down period in their life, everyone goes through a down period in their life."
Beyond Blue chairman Jeff Kennett said Mr Brayley was not a euthanasia candidate.
"I was appalled. My concept of euthanasia does not extend to helping and giving advice to a 45-year-old guy who clearly did not have a terminal illness," he said.
"I just think the way Dr Nitschke expressed himself – that he didn't see it as his responsibility to do that – to be absolutely abhorrent."
Mr Kennett, who also posted a series of comments on Twitter, said Dr Nitschke's assertion that it was not his duty to intervene was misguided.
"I have never heard so much rubbish in all my life," he said.
"He's a medical officer and I don't accept that argument at all. To have healthy bodies walking around saying, 'I want out' – I can understand that.
"What I can't understand is a medical professional actually supporting them to go out ... to leave us."
"I think most people would assume [Exit International's] role is quite clearly for people who are terminally ill, suffering, reaching the end of their life," he said.
"Not for people who are going through a down period in their life, everyone goes through a down period in their life."
Beyond Blue chairman Jeff Kennett said Mr Brayley was not a euthanasia candidate.
"I was appalled. My concept of euthanasia does not extend to helping and giving advice to a 45-year-old guy who clearly did not have a terminal illness," he said.
"I just think the way Dr Nitschke expressed himself – that he didn't see it as his responsibility to do that – to be absolutely abhorrent."
Mr Kennett, who also posted a series of comments on Twitter, said Dr Nitschke's assertion that it was not his duty to intervene was misguided.
"I have never heard so much rubbish in all my life," he said.
"He's a medical officer and I don't accept that argument at all. To have healthy bodies walking around saying, 'I want out' – I can understand that.
"What I can't understand is a medical professional actually supporting them to go out ... to leave us."
Earlier this year, a 25 year old man killed himself after accessing Dr Nitschke's book on suicide, aimed at the over 50's and terminally ill. Joe Waterman was a happy and stable man, his family never saw a sign of his depression. Unbeknownst to them, he had ticked the 'I am over 50' box on Exit International's website and had obtained the booklet. Mr Waterman's mother is devastated and angry. Dr Nitschke was also angry at the dead man's deceit:
Joe Waterman was 25 when he took his own life in January this year.
Like Mr Brayley, he had illegally imported the euthanasia drug Nembutal.
Last year, for reasons his family could never fathom, the formerly fun-loving young man suddenly changed.
His mother Mary Waterman has since discovered that her son, who had ordered Dr Nitschke's euthanasia handbook, wrote about being depressed on his iPad.
"I was angry, quite angry that [the book] was just so easy for him to access," she said.
Mr Waterman was granted that access after simply ticking a box to confirm he was over the age of 50, a move that Dr Nitschke says was out of his control.
"Well he's obviously a liar because straight away the book is not made available to people unless they're 50 years of age or [there are] special circumstances," Dr Nitschke said.
"So I guess if he wants to tell us those lies and accesses the book and then misuses it, then I guess we can't always be able to protect against that."
Ms Waterman believes ticking a box is not an adequate measure to restrict access to the book.
"Joe was a liar but of course you're going to lie if you want to get something, if you're suicidal and you want to get something that's going to help you die peacefully."
"It's still unbelievable and it's been nearly six months," she said. "It's like a bad dream really, I still find it really hard to imagine life without him."
Like Mr Brayley, he had illegally imported the euthanasia drug Nembutal.
Last year, for reasons his family could never fathom, the formerly fun-loving young man suddenly changed.
His mother Mary Waterman has since discovered that her son, who had ordered Dr Nitschke's euthanasia handbook, wrote about being depressed on his iPad.
"I was angry, quite angry that [the book] was just so easy for him to access," she said.
Mr Waterman was granted that access after simply ticking a box to confirm he was over the age of 50, a move that Dr Nitschke says was out of his control.
"Well he's obviously a liar because straight away the book is not made available to people unless they're 50 years of age or [there are] special circumstances," Dr Nitschke said.
"So I guess if he wants to tell us those lies and accesses the book and then misuses it, then I guess we can't always be able to protect against that."
Ms Waterman believes ticking a box is not an adequate measure to restrict access to the book.
"Joe was a liar but of course you're going to lie if you want to get something, if you're suicidal and you want to get something that's going to help you die peacefully."
"It's still unbelievable and it's been nearly six months," she said. "It's like a bad dream really, I still find it really hard to imagine life without him."
While I deplore Dr Nitschke's language at the relatives and loved ones of Joe Waterman, he is correct. His site operates on good faith. It was outside of his control that someone lied and was able to access and obtain his handbook.
However Joe Waterman's case is vastly different to that of Nigel Brayley. And this is where he contradicts himself in a way. Mr Waterman was obviously as depressed as Mr Brayley. I am left to wonder if he would have given the same advice to Joe Waterman as he gave to Nigel Brayley. Or is his hanger solely that he ticked the box when he was not in fact 50 or terminally ill?
I am not comfortable with euthanasia being used in this way. I am not comfortable that he is now using his brand and his organisation to give advice to people suffering from depression, on how to commit suicide. While it is possible Mr Brayley saw this as a way out because of the issues surrounding his wife's death and the possible feeling that he would be accused of it and his girlfriend's disappearance, euthanasia is not supposed to provide an out for things like this. There are so many things wrong with this case..
We are yet to see if Dr Nitschke is going to be investigated by the AMA or any other medical body in Western Australia for his role in Mr Brayler's suicide. I do, however, hope there is an investigation. At the very least, I don't think any doctor should be telling someone who is depressed of the best way to commit suicide. Or maybe it is just me. I don't know. But this case stinks to me. I get the whole 'it's my life and my body'. I really do get that. But this? This just feels wrong.