The two legendary German twins, Alice and Ellen Kessler, the greatest of entertainers, who rose to fame in the post war era died at the age of 89. They truly were inseparable, as they chose to leave the world in the same way they came, together. The sisters chose medically assisted dying on November 17, as reported by the German newspaper Bild. The twin had shared that they "no longer wanted to live" and the decision to die together was made together with clarity and intention. How Does Assisted Dying Work?In terms of the Kessler Sisters, the police confirmed that there were no signs of foul play. The German Society for Humane Dying also stated that the sisters had chosen assisted suicide. This practice is legal in the country since 2019.Read: Uruguay Becomes The First Catholic Latin American Country To Legalize Euthanasia How Is Assisted Dying Different Than Euthanasia?In assisting dying, the law allows and enables the individuals to self-administer the medication, so the choice and the agency to die remains with the individuals.What Is Assisted Dying?This refers to the practice of ending a person's life through medication. However, when the term 'dying' is replaced by 'suicide', the medication is then administered by self, whereas in other procedures, it may be done by a medical professional. Thus the term 'assisted dying' refers to both assisted suicide and euthanasia. In assisted suicide, the person's will to die matters, and it may not require a terminal diagnosis. However, this definition to varies from country to country.Also Read: Can Right To Die Be Practiced By Non-Terminally Ill Patients? In many ways can assisted suicide be practiced including providing lethal medication, or helping the individual travel to another jurisdiction to die. What Does The Law In Germany Say About Assisted Suicide?In 2020, Germany's Federal Constitutional Court determined that individual autonomy should include the choice to die. This means that every person could decide for themselves. The law has a wider scope, which also includes any person helping an individual who has chosen to end their life, and they cannot be penalized for doing so. However, this condition only comes from the person who wants to end their life, and the decision must be taken freely. The debate was introduced in 2015 due to the section 271 of the criminal code, which made assisted suicide almost impossible in Germany. The law stated that anyone who aided someone to take their own life could be jailed for up to three years.Palliative sedation is administered to prevent suffering and ensure a dignified death. However, medication aims to relieve patients of unbearable pain, this is why its use as an alternative medically assisted suicide raises concerns. Currently, there is no approved medication for medically assisted suicide in Germany. though several medications are could be used, for instance in the United States, severely ill patients receive high doses of sodium pentobarbital and thiopental. However, pentobarbital is only approved for veterinary use in Germany.In Germany, the intravenous route is often chosen, where the medication is administered through IV, and the patient must be the one opening the infusion. Doctors can assist but should not be directly involved in the act.
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