Director of Sarco Suicide Capsule Dies by Assisted Suicide After Swiss Authorities Accused Him of Murder
Florian Willet (47), director of the Swiss suicide capsule Sarco, has died by assisted suicide. He passed away in early May in Germany. Willet had been suffering from severe mental health issues after Swiss authorities accused him of murder following the first use of the Sarco and detained him for months in prison.
His death was announced Sunday evening by Philip Nitschke, director of Exit International and the inventor of the Sarco. Nitschke strongly criticized Swiss authorities for their treatment of Willet. The director was denied contact with the outside world for ten weeks. After his release, he suffered an acute psychotic episode. "I believe his time in prison triggered this," Nitschke said. "The Swiss justice system knew this was not a murder case. Yet they held him for ten weeks. Their actions were unconscionable."
Nitschke, who lives in the Netherlands and developed the Sarco there, possesses a psychiatric report stating that Willet suffered from an "acute polymorphic psychotic disorder" caused by "the stress of pre-trial detention and related legal proceedings." According to Nitschke, the report does not indicate any prior mental health issues. The report was compiled in January, weeks after Willet's release.
Final Moments
Florian Willet was arrested by Swiss police in September last year, shortly after a 64-year-old American woman independently entered the suicide capsule in a forest near Schaffhausen, pressed the button, and died. The woman had long expressed a wish to die. Her death was caused by nitrogen gas filling the capsule. Willet was the only witness to her final moments and stood outside the Sarco when she passed away. Switzerland was chosen for the Sarco's deployment because assisted suicide is permitted there under certain conditions.
After Willet reported the woman's death to the police, he was arrested. Nitschke said: "The expectation was that he would simply be questioned and then allowed to go home. Instead, twenty police cars showed up, he was locked up, and even his two lawyers were jailed. He was then completely unjustly accused of murder (vorsätzliche Tötung). He had almost no information and was denied contact with the outside world—only his lawyer. It was extremely stressful."
No Autopsy Report
Willet was suspected of "intentional killing"—a charge between murder and manslaughter—based on a "phone note" made by the prosecutor on the evening of the American woman's death. The prosecutor allegedly heard from a forensic examiner that there were signs of strangulation on the woman's neck. But over time, this suspicion grew increasingly vague. To this day, no lawyer has seen an autopsy report. Yet Willet was held for weeks based solely on this serious suspicion.
During Willet's detention, it emerged that there were video recordings—with audio—of the woman entering the Sarco and dying. De Volkskrant, which obtained the footage, conducted an extensive analysis and found no evidence of violence. The video shows the woman entering the capsule herself and pressing the button. Willet stands nearby, communicating with her and with Nitschke, who was monitoring via camera. At the end, Willet says: "She really looks dead."
Swiss authorities waited two and a half months before downgrading the strangulation suspicion to "less urgent." They have not explained why.
A Broken Man
According to Nitschke, Willet became "severely traumatized" in custody. "When he was released in December," Nitschke said, "he was a completely different person." Willet's best friend also said she no longer recognized him. In a media statement, she described him as previously *"extremely stable, cheerful, and deeply committed to justice."
"Pre-trial detention broke him," she said. "This kind, positive man became fearful, paranoid, and distrustful—even of his closest friends. He lived in his own world, drifting further away from everyone."
After his release, Willet was twice admitted to a psychiatric clinic. In early January, he was found badly injured beneath his balcony. His best friend reported him missing in recent weeks. Only recently did she learn from Swiss authorities that he had died in Germany.
Nitschke said he had been in regular contact with Willet in recent months. "But it was very difficult to truly reach him. He was deeply damaged. I suspect prison medical staff saw this too, which is why he was suddenly released. They likely realized they had a problem. He was abruptly put back on the street without warning."
The Swiss Public Prosecutor's Office was unavailable for comment on Sunday.
Right to Self-Determination
Willet died on May 5 in Cologne with the help of a specialized organization, according to Exit International. Assisted suicide has been legal in Germany for a few years.
In an obituary, Nitschke wrote that Willet was a passionate advocate for the right to self-determination. "Florian wanted to make a difference," he said. "He wanted to help a terminally ill woman find a peaceful death. He thought only of her—his own well-being came second, far behind. Everyone deserves a Florian by their side in their final moments. But he paid the ultimate price—his life—for his compassion."
Remembering Florian Willet – Obituary
https://www.exitinternational.net/remembering-florian-obituary/
Florian Willet (47), director of the Swiss suicide capsule Sarco, has died by assisted suicide. He passed away in early May in Germany. Willet had been suffering from severe mental health issues after Swiss authorities accused him of murder following the first use of the Sarco and detained him for months in prison.
His death was announced Sunday evening by Philip Nitschke, director of Exit International and the inventor of the Sarco. Nitschke strongly criticized Swiss authorities for their treatment of Willet. The director was denied contact with the outside world for ten weeks. After his release, he suffered an acute psychotic episode. "I believe his time in prison triggered this," Nitschke said. "The Swiss justice system knew this was not a murder case. Yet they held him for ten weeks. Their actions were unconscionable."
Nitschke, who lives in the Netherlands and developed the Sarco there, possesses a psychiatric report stating that Willet suffered from an "acute polymorphic psychotic disorder" caused by "the stress of pre-trial detention and related legal proceedings." According to Nitschke, the report does not indicate any prior mental health issues. The report was compiled in January, weeks after Willet's release.
Final Moments
Florian Willet was arrested by Swiss police in September last year, shortly after a 64-year-old American woman independently entered the suicide capsule in a forest near Schaffhausen, pressed the button, and died. The woman had long expressed a wish to die. Her death was caused by nitrogen gas filling the capsule. Willet was the only witness to her final moments and stood outside the Sarco when she passed away. Switzerland was chosen for the Sarco's deployment because assisted suicide is permitted there under certain conditions.
After Willet reported the woman's death to the police, he was arrested. Nitschke said: "The expectation was that he would simply be questioned and then allowed to go home. Instead, twenty police cars showed up, he was locked up, and even his two lawyers were jailed. He was then completely unjustly accused of murder (vorsätzliche Tötung). He had almost no information and was denied contact with the outside world—only his lawyer. It was extremely stressful."
No Autopsy Report
Willet was suspected of "intentional killing"—a charge between murder and manslaughter—based on a "phone note" made by the prosecutor on the evening of the American woman's death. The prosecutor allegedly heard from a forensic examiner that there were signs of strangulation on the woman's neck. But over time, this suspicion grew increasingly vague. To this day, no lawyer has seen an autopsy report. Yet Willet was held for weeks based solely on this serious suspicion.
During Willet's detention, it emerged that there were video recordings—with audio—of the woman entering the Sarco and dying. De Volkskrant, which obtained the footage, conducted an extensive analysis and found no evidence of violence. The video shows the woman entering the capsule herself and pressing the button. Willet stands nearby, communicating with her and with Nitschke, who was monitoring via camera. At the end, Willet says: "She really looks dead."
Swiss authorities waited two and a half months before downgrading the strangulation suspicion to "less urgent." They have not explained why.
A Broken Man
According to Nitschke, Willet became "severely traumatized" in custody. "When he was released in December," Nitschke said, "he was a completely different person." Willet's best friend also said she no longer recognized him. In a media statement, she described him as previously *"extremely stable, cheerful, and deeply committed to justice."
"Pre-trial detention broke him," she said. "This kind, positive man became fearful, paranoid, and distrustful—even of his closest friends. He lived in his own world, drifting further away from everyone."
After his release, Willet was twice admitted to a psychiatric clinic. In early January, he was found badly injured beneath his balcony. His best friend reported him missing in recent weeks. Only recently did she learn from Swiss authorities that he had died in Germany.
Nitschke said he had been in regular contact with Willet in recent months. "But it was very difficult to truly reach him. He was deeply damaged. I suspect prison medical staff saw this too, which is why he was suddenly released. They likely realized they had a problem. He was abruptly put back on the street without warning."
The Swiss Public Prosecutor's Office was unavailable for comment on Sunday.
Right to Self-Determination
Willet died on May 5 in Cologne with the help of a specialized organization, according to Exit International. Assisted suicide has been legal in Germany for a few years.
In an obituary, Nitschke wrote that Willet was a passionate advocate for the right to self-determination. "Florian wanted to make a difference," he said. "He wanted to help a terminally ill woman find a peaceful death. He thought only of her—his own well-being came second, far behind. Everyone deserves a Florian by their side in their final moments. But he paid the ultimate price—his life—for his compassion."
Remembering Florian Willet – Obituary
https://www.exitinternational.net/remembering-florian-obituary/
