The chairman of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies, Sean Davison, has narrowly escaped a prison sentence after being accused of ‘murdering’ three friends who were in advanced terminal illness and wished to die quickly.
The accusations were brought in Sean’s homeland, South Africa, which has made no progress in
improving laws on the right to choose to die, death with dignity. Here is Sean’s statement
after a plea bargain deal was announced:
Sean Davison writes:
Dear friends and supporters
In a plea bargain agreement with the South African court I pleaded
guilty to the three murder charges I faced and received a three-year
house arrest sentence at my home in Cape Town.
I accept my sentence. I will be in the news today, and I will be
forgotten tomorrow. But there will be another Sean Davison, and then
another, and another, because this issue will not go away until we have
a new law, a compassionate law, a law that does not confuse euthanasia
with murder.
I have made a solemn promise to the court not to break the law again. I
also make a promise
to the public in South Africa, and every civilized
country, that one day there will be a law that will allow someone
suffering unbearably, with no hope of recovery, to have the option of an
assisted dignified death.
I know there will be many people disappointed that I accepted a plea
bargain, and did not go to trial. If I had done this I may have been
found not guilty, and thereby lead to a law change. However, I was
facing three life sentences in prison and the stakes were too high. I
have three young children and my children want a father not a martyr.
I want to thank the thousands of people in South Africa and around the
world who have sent messages of support and encouragement. The nine
months since my arrest has been a harrowing time for me and my family,
and this support has made it bearable.
Sean 19 June 2019
