One concern that has not received enough attention in the UK’ debate about assisted suicide is the danger it poses to victims of domestic abuse. Women are overwhelmingly the victims of this crime, with disabled and elderly women most vulnerable. It’s a crime that happens behind closed doors, which is hard to identify. This would not change if assisted suicide was legal.
Experts point out that coercive and controlling behaviour – a common aspect of abusive relationships – can be insidious and happen over many years. Victims can be conditioned into thinking that they are worthless. Especially so when it comes to a disabled or elderly women who also face negative value judgments in wider society.
It’s easy to see how abuse might push such individuals towards ending their life after being diagnosed with an illness, and for this to be missed by doctors. The bills at Westminster and Holyrood would not prevent a person acting out of this motivation. As one academic has said, assisted suicide could become “a lethal weapon in the hands of abusers”.
Ultimately, there is no way to rule out people accessing assisted death because they are being coerced by others, or by ‘self-coercion’ due to feelings of worthlessness, and despair. This is one reason why legislating for assisted suicide should be unthinkable. Protecting victims of domestic abuse – and women in particular – means opposing a change in the law.
We hope we can count on your support. Together we can Stop Assisted Suicide.
Take action!
Write to politicians
It’s important that opponents of assisted suicide make our voices heard by writing to politicians, including MPs, Peers, and Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Would you consider doing this? Here are some tips for contacting politicians about this important issue.
1. Find out who your representatives are
You can find out who your representatives are by visiting Write To Them.
2. Contact the right people about the right Bills
Everyone in the UK has an MP, who you can write to about the Commons Bill from Kim Leadbeater MP. You can also write to a Peer if you wish – instructions on doing that here. There’s an option to search by topic or ‘get a random Lord’.
If you live in Scotland, you have a constituency MSP and seven regional MSPs. The Write To Them site will identify who these people are, enable you to draft an email to you constituency MSP, and offer an option to ‘write to all your regional MSPs’ at the same time.
Make sure you focus on Liam McArthur’s assisted suicide Bill if you are writing to MSPs.
3. Make your points well
When emailing your representatives, make sure you mention that you are a constituent. You should try to make you email brief and raise a few key arguments against a change in the law. If you have relevant expertise – for example as a doctor, carer or lawyer – it’s worth mentioning this. Lived experience is also powerful. Are you concerned that this law would impact you personally? What experiences in your life make you opposed to the Bill?
4. Speak up on social media
If you’ve gone to the trouble of emailing a politician about assisted suicide, why not share your views on social media too? By speaking out, we can stand in solidarity with those who would be most endangered by a change in the law and help change the narrative on this issue.
Template email
You can use this draft email for inspiration if you wish. Please edit the text to make it your own and include personal experiences you or loved ones have had if you can. Stories of this kind are compelling and help politicians appreciate the strength of constituents’ concerns.
Dear (YOUR POLITICIAN’S NAME HERE),
As a constituent, I am writing to you to ask you to vote against the assisted suicide bill.
An assisted suicide law would pose a huge danger to victims of domestic abuse in our country and particularly women, who are overwhelmingly the victims of this crime. It’s a crime that happens behind closed doors, which is hard to identify. And this would not change if assisted suicide was legal. If anything, women would be in greater danger.
Experts point out that coercive and controlling behaviour – a common aspect of abusive relationships – can be insidious and happen over many years. Victims can be conditioned into thinking that they are worthless. Especially so when it comes to a disabled or elderly women who also face negative value judgments in wider society.
It’s easy to see how abuse might push such individuals towards ending their life after being diagnosed with an illness, and for this to be missed by doctors. The bill before parliament would not prevent a person acting out of this motivation. As one academic has said, assisted suicide could become “a lethal weapon in the hands of abusers”.
Ultimately, there is no way to rule out people accessing assisted death because they are being coerced by others, or by ‘self-coercion’ due to feelings of worthlessness, and despair. This is one reason why voting for the assisted suicide bill should be unthinkable. Protecting victims of domestic abuse – and women in particular – means opposing a change in the law.
Please vote against the bill when it comes up in parliament again.
Yours sincerely,
YOUR NAME HERE – INCLUDE YOUR ADDRESS AND POST CODE