Disabled fear pressure to die if assisted suicide is legalised

Vulnerable people would come under pressure to end their lives prematurely if assisted suicide were legalised, fear disabled people.

Seventy per cent of disabled people raised concerns that liberalising the law would put pressure on the vulnerable to agree to die, found a survey by ComRes for the charity Scope.

Three per cent of respondents said they thought they personally would come under pressure, the poll found.

Assisting someone to commit suicide is currently a criminal offence and there are no plans from the current UK government to change the law, while the Scottish Parliament rejected plans to do so in Scotland last year.

However, liberalising the law has some prominent supporters – such as the author Terry Pratchett, who has early onset dementia. The think-tank Demos has set up a commission to examine the case for reform.

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