[Right_to_die] Husband left the house so dying wife could kill herself

[World right-to-die news (nonprofit)]

The Daily Telegraph in London reported 26 Nov 08:

The husband of a distinguished novelist told how he was forced to leave 
his wife of 50 years to die a "horrible, lonely death" because of the 
"idiocy" of the assisted suicide law.

By Nick Allen and Aislinn Simpson

The writer and critic Michael Grosvenor Myer arranged to go to the 
Cambridge University library while his "adored" wife Valerie, who was 
suffering from Parkinson's disease, took an overdose at their home.

Had he stayed with his wife he could have been prosecuted for aiding and 
abetting suicide which is a criminal offence punishable by up to 14 
years in prison.

Mr Grosvenor Myer described his wife's decision as "rational and 
courageous" and said that she had wanted him to be with her at the end.

Valerie Grosvenor Myer was a novelist, literary critic, biographer, 
poet, playwright and teacher. She died at the age of 75 at the couple's 
home in Haddenham, Cambridgeshire, on Aug 9 last year.

She took an overdose of paracetamol after three previous attempts to 
take her own life.

"She was a distinguished woman but Parkinson's disease had robbed her of 
the power of speaking articulately.

"Her beautiful italic handwriting was nothing but a bitter memory. She 
kept falling over and injuring herself. She knew when she had 
degenerated as much as she was prepared to put up with.

"When the day came I agreed to invent an unnecessary day's work at the 
university library so that she could get on with it. I don't regret it: 
it was what she wanted.

"My regret is only that because of the idiocy of the present law, my 
precious only heart's darling had to die a horrible, lonely death all 
alone here in the house instead of having me here to help and comfort 
her, which was what she wanted, " said Mr Grosvenor Myer in a letter to 
a newspaper.

Mr Grosvenor Myer said that after a previous, unsuccessful suicide 
attempt his wife had gone into a coma and he had to call doctors. A 
consultant then threatened to section her to stop her committing 
suicide. Mr Grosvenor Myer said: "I told him outright that was the 
remark of a fool and a bully."

Even the foreknowledge that his wife was going to kill herself could 
potentially leave Mr Grosvenor Myer open to a criminal inquiry but 
Cambridgeshire Police said they were unaware of the case.

Last month the High Court suggested that Parliament should review the 
law on assisted suicide, which dates back to the 1961 Suicide Act.

It followed a case brought by Debbie Purdy, who has multiple sclerosis 
and wants her husband to help her travel abroad to die.

Ms Purdy was trying to force the Director of Public Prosecutions to 
offer further guidance on whether those who assist loved ones to commit 
suicide would be prosecuted.

Her application was rejected but the judges made clear helping a loved 
one to go abroad to end their suffering was something "many would regard 
that the law should permit."

A criminal inquiry is currently under way into the death of Daniel 
James, 23, who ended his life at the Swiss suicide clinic Dignitas last 
month.

He had been paralysed in a rugby accident and was not terminally ill. 
His parents are being investigated by police.

There have so far been no prosecutions of relatives of more than 100 UK 
citizens who have died at Dignitas. Another 700 Britons have registered 
themselves with then clinic.