Discussion Partners and the law

[lmon]

I keep reading on this forum that if one person survives a pact, they could be charged??? obv in a murder suicide I know they can be. but if both drink poison / nitrogen where they're doing it to themselves... it's still a homicide?? i think I'm still in denial... how can this be true. put a suicidal person in jail for not wanting to be alone when they ctb? is this still the current law in US, does anyone know? thank you

 

[WorthlessTrash]

Because society still doesn't condone suicide, so they will do all they can to punish you from exercising your right to a peaceful death.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

I would think it would depend on whether it could be proven that the surviving person is the one who supplied the "means" for ctb. Most likely, too, it would be manslaughter, unless the prosecutor was a real prick and for some reason (beliefs, political) wanted to make an example of you, then they may charge murder if they believed they could make the case.

 

[Lullaby]

I was recently reading a story about two people who met on alt suicide holiday. They partnered up to CTB together at Beachy Head, before they jumped, one received a call and was talked out of it. The other ended up jumping.

The one who decided he wanted to live was charged by police for abetting a suicide, and later ended up killing himself on his court date. Really sad story.

This was years ago and in the UK, but I imagine the same would still happen today.

Suicide suspect found hanged on day of trial

Man faced trial for helping acquaintance to kill himself.

amp.theguardian.com

 

[WorthlessTrash]

I was recently reading a story about two people who met on alt suicide holiday. They partnered up to CTB together at Beachy Head, before they jumped, one received a call and was talked out of it. The other ended up jumping.

The one who decided he wanted to live was charged by police for abetting a suicide, and later ended up killing himself on his court date. Really sad story.

This was years ago and in the UK, but I imagine the same would still happen today.

Suicide suspect found hanged on day of trial

Man faced trial for helping acquaintance to kill himself.

amp.theguardian.com

Counterproductive.

Prosecute someone because you disapprove of them abetting a suicide, but that caused them to suicide even though they were talked out of it initially.

 

[Lullaby]

Counterproductive.

Prosecute someone because you disapprove of them abetting a suicide, but that caused them to suicide even though they were talked out of it initially.

That's what bothered me the most about the story. This person was literally talked away from the edge of death, and they decide the best decision was charging him with a crime?

That's why pro-lifers are so weird to me. They advocate against this stuff, then do everything but help people who are struggling.

 

[Quiet Desperation]

Sadly yes, that is the kind of society we live in. That possibility along with the potential for surveillance by law enforcement and the risk of predators is real, and all three are things that have happened. If you're considering a partner then you need to think very carefully to protect yourself and stay safe.

The charge is more likely to be abetment or encouragement of suicide than homicide. They can argue that you had a duty to act even if you didn't supply anything. Laws on this vary by state but I wouldn't count on avoiding prosecution if you live and they don't, particularly if your partner's family chooses to blame you for the loss of their loved one. Given the recent crusade against SS, that might be more likely than you think.

It shouldn't be so hard to find a little bit of comfort and empathy when you're already desperate, but here we are.

 

[Hercules]

Yes. You have to be careful. Someone can be prosecuted if it can be proven that they encouraged or helped someone to commit suicide such as buying the supplies that someone needed or helping them in any way to actually carry out the act. The laws vary by the state you live in.

In some states you can even be prosecuted for encouraging someone to commit suicide even if you aren't there when they do it. There was a case in Massachusetts were a woman was convicted of manslaughter after she helped her boyfriend research suicide methods and later sent him text messages encouraging him to kill himself with CO2 in a van.

There was another case in Minnesota where a man was convicted after he posed as a nurse online on a suicide forum and encouraged 2 people to hang themselves. He told them he was also suicidal, and talked them into letting him watch them hang themselves via webcam saying that he was also going to hang himself afterwards.

 

[Al Cappella]

Depending on where you are, things can get very serious and nasty from a law-enforcement point of view. Yes, you can be charged, and convicted. In short, I wouldn't ever be part of a pact.

 

[Klo]

I've been looking for a partner and it does seem super sketch to try partner with someone you don't know. Yeah the pro lifer laws are so messed up like they prevent death row inmates from committing suicide yet have endless hearings about putting them to death. I only need a partner because I need help with a method but the people I've made contact with so far seem to need something else out of it. That is very high stakes because if for some reason you survive the state can make a case against you and you will look ghoulish to the public.