Seven charged as organized crime ring in suicide drug case to stand trial today
Those in the Netherlands in life threatening danger should immediately dial 112 for emergencies, and anyone suffering from depression or contemplating suicide can call 113 Zelfmoordpreventie at any time by dialing either 113 or 0800-0113, or by visiting 113.nl.
Seven defendants will go on trial on Monday on accusations that they made a lethal combination of two medications available to people who expressed a desire to end their lives. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) alleged in December that the seven violated organized crime laws to acquire, sell or distribute the drug cocktail, known colloquially as Drug X or Middel X, for the purpose of making it easier for people to commit suicide.
In previous cases involving Drug X, the OM noted that it is a combination of a medication supplied as a powder that will lead to an individual's death if ingested, along with a second medication that acts as an antiemetic, preventing the body's natural reflex to begin vomiting after beginning the suicide attempt. It is not necessarily illegal to possess the substances, but the OM argued it is illegal to provide them to an individual who intends to kill themself. It may also violate controlled substances laws to provide an antiemetic in this manner.
The seven allegedly acted in an organized fashion when making the drugs available to others. Together, they had what the OM called "living room conversations" where they came together to discuss end-of-life methods. Allegedly, this then led to making Drug X available to people who wanted to die.
"Two of the seven suspects are also suspected of having actually provided the drug Middel X," the OM said when indicting the group. The two also stand accused of "assisting in suicide and/or providing a means to do so."
Ten people in total had been arrested in the current case, all with ties to Coöperatie Laatste Wil. The organization has spent years advocating on behalf of adults who want to end their lives, arguing that those people should have more freedom to decide on their own terms how and when to die.
Three of the suspects were released for insufficient evidence. The OM decided not to prosecute Coöperatie Laatste Wil as an organization, and to focus on their specific allegations regarding the seven defendants when the case is presented before the District Court of Arnhem.
Alex S. was convicted in a Drug X case last year on accusations that he provided the substances to more than 1,600 people, resulting in at least ten cases of someone ending their lives. Surviving family argued that these people were not cared for in a qualified manner, and were given a window to kill themselves without first having access to appropriate healthcare or therapy.
S. was only prosecuted for his handling of Drug X, and not for violating organized crime laws. The District Court in Den Bosch sentenced him to 3.5 years in prison, with 1.5 years conditionally suspended. An appeal in the case has not been concluded.