Prof’s death sparks new debate on euthanasia

Scientist David Goodall, 104, died on Thursday May 10 after choosing to end his life at a clinic in Switzerland.

The lauded London-born ecologist and botanist, who was not terminally ill, said the decision had been driven by his deteriorating quality of life.

Prof Goodall flew to Switzerland for his assisted suicide, attracting the attention of people around the world and triggering ethical debates about Goodall decision.

Shortly before his death, he said he was “happy to end” his life. Before flying from Australia, he said he was resentful that he must go overseas to die.

His quality of life had deteriorated and he secured a fast-track appointment with assisted dying agency Life Circle in Basel.

He got on a plane in Perth late Wednesday last week, surrounded by friends and family saying their final goodbyes, according to advocates in euthanasia. He spent several days with another family in Bordeaux, France, before heading to Switzerland where he was due to end his life.

“I don’t want to go to Switzerland, though it’s a nice country,” he told broadcaster ABC before leaving. “But I have to do that in order to get the opportunity of suicide which the Australian system does not permit. I feel very resentful.”

Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries around the world and was banned in Australia until the state of Victoria became the first to legalise it last year.

But that legislation, which takes effect from June 2019, only applies to terminally ill patients of sound mind and a life expectancy of less than six months.

David Goodall said he wanted to end his life with dignity.

Other states in Australia have debated euthanasia in the past, but the proposals have always been defeated, most recently in New South Wales state last year.

Exit International, which helped Goodall make the trip, said it was unjust that one of Australia’s “oldest and most prominent citizens should be forced to travel to the other side of the world to die with dignity”.

It launched a GoFundMe campaign to get plane tickets for Goodall and his helper upgraded to business class from economy and quickly raised more than Aus$20,000 (US$15,000).

Goodall, an honorary research associate at Perth’s Edith Cowan University, made international headlines in 2016 when he was declared unfit to be on campus.

After an uproar and support from scientists globally, the decision was reversed.

During his life, he produced dozens of research papers and until recently continued to review and edit for different ecology journals.

Goodall told ABC he appreciated the public’s interest in his plight and hoped it would spark more discussion about voluntary euthanasia.

“I would like them to understand it,” he said.

“I am 104 years old so I haven’t got much time left anyway. I might as well not have (my health) getting worse and worse, making me unhappy as it goes.”

On the eve of his 104th birthday last month, he told the broadcaster that he intended to visit the Life Circle service in Basel for an assisted death.

‘I greatly regret having reached that age,’ he told the ABC.

‘I’m not happy. I want to die. It’s not sad particularly. What is sad is if one is prevented.

‘If one chooses to kill oneself, then that should be fair enough. I don’t think anyone else should interfere.’

Australian voluntary euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke said Tuesday last week he feared doctors in Perth will oppose Dr Goodall’s plan to travel because his condition is not serious enough to warrant him taking his own life.

Mr Nitschke said Dr Goodall was hospitalised earlier this year following a failed attempt to kill himself after he was injured in a fall.

‘The doctors started to say, `He’s talking about ending his life, there’s nothing much wrong with him, so therefore he’s a risk to himself,’’ he said.

He said Dr Goodall and his daughter Karen Goodall-Smith are concerned that doctors who treated the centenarian will mark him as unfit to fly to block his plan to travel to Switzerland.

‘I don’t know if they’re making moves to try and stop him. I don’t know whether they would be successful or whether it’s just a threat,’ Nitschke said.

‘It’s worrying the hell out of David and his daughter.’

Mr Nitschke said Ms Goodall-Smith had to fight to have her father released from the hospital after his attempt to kill himself, including arranging an independent psychiatric review

The ABC reported that Dr Goodall made repeated unsuccessful attempts to kill himself in the past 12 months.

Mr Nitschke said Dr Goodall was especially eager to leave Australia after his recent hospital experience.

‘On the basis of that, he said, `enough is enough - now’s the time to die,’’ Nitschke said.

Dr Goodall was born in Edmonton, London, in 1914, and came to Australia in 1948, taking up a lecturing position at the University of Melbourne.

He made headlines in 2016 when, aged 102, his university ordered him to vacate his office, saying he was a safety risk to himself.

He challenged the decision and, with widespread public support, it was reversed.

Euthanasia is illegal in Australia on a national level, though some of the country’s states and territories have passed laws on the practice.

West Australia is still in the process of introducing voluntary euthanasia laws which would be restricted to people with a terminal illness.