Esther Rantzen unable to travel to Switzerland for assisted suicide

Broadcaster and Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen has stated she is now too physically fragile to travel to Switzerland to access assisted suicide services at the Dignitas clinic. The 86-year-old, who is terminally ill with stage four lung cancer, explained that while she was previously strong enough to fly to Switzerland, her life was not yet unbearably painful. Now that her pain has become unmanageable, she lacks the physical strength to make the journey alone.

Rantzen described current laws regarding assisted suicide in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland as “messy and cruel,” where the practice remains a criminal offence. She used her situation to urge Members of Parliament to support proposed legislation that would legalize assisted suicide in England and Wales for terminally ill individuals with less than six months to live. The legislation is expected to be revisited by Parliament this Friday.