DOZENS of Scots have travelled to Switzerland for an assisted death because current laws prevent the end-of-life option in Scotland, a campaigning charity has said.
Friends At The End (FATE) said at least 25 Scots have travelled to Swiss clinics where assisted dying is possible.
The charity said they had corresponded with Swiss organisations Dignitas and Life Circle who confirmed the 25 Scots travelled to Switzerland for an assisted death.
It comes after British expat David Hunter was released from custody in Cyprus last week after killing his seriously ill wife in 2021.
FATE’s convener Emma Cooper said many more terminally ill Scots choose to die alone by suicide each year.
She will discuss the ethics of assisted dying at an Edinburgh Fringe event on Friday.
The Scottish charity supports MSP Liam McArthur’s Scottish Parliament member’s Bill to enable mentally competent adults who are terminally ill to be provided with help to end their life if they request.
The Lib Dem MSP is expected to publish his Bill later this year.
In reaction to the charity's claims, McArthur said: “I have spoken with people who have made the sad journey to Switzerland to watch a loved one die and the even sadder journey home alone grieving and anxious that they may face repercussions.
“I have also met with people who wanted to do so but simply could not afford the cost involved.
“In both cases it struck me that it was simply wrong for dying people and their loved ones to have to face this anguish when a much fairer and more compassionate response would be to be able to have the option of an assisted death here at home if that was their choice.
“We should not be outsourcing our compassion to another country and I hope that the Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults Bill I am bringing forward in Parliament means that we will not have to do so for much longer.”
If his Bill becomes law, Scots will not be able to opt for assisted dying for any other reason, and safeguards would include independent assessment by two doctors and a cooling-off period.
Cooper said: “By legalising assisted dying, we can put the proper safeguards and monitoring in place to protect people and their loved ones.
“Here in Scotland, we’re proposing a reasonable, considered approach to legislation that is both common sense and compassionate.
“Along with the majority of Scots, I believe it is absolutely reasonable to allow terminally ill, competent adults a pathway to ending their suffering legally and here at home – not isolated, away from their own country, and in fear of loved ones facing prosecution.”
The charity said it is optimistic the Bill will receive backing from a majority of MSPs at Holyrood.
Josh Aaron-Mennie who put proposals to the SNP annual conference in 2020 for assisted dying legislation in Scotland said: "Assisted dying is about allowing people dignity in the last days and weeks of their lives.
"The right to choose a dignified death for terminally ill people is not just a human rights issue, but a class issue as well, and should be accessible to all dying Scots - not just those who have the financial means to travel to Dignitas in Switzerland.
"With an overwhelming majority of support among Scottish people for assisted dying measures to be introduced, I am incredibly hopeful that Liam McArthur MSP's Bill will make it through the Scottish Parliament as soon as possible so that there needn't be any unnecessary pain and trauma for people who choose otherwise."
Faith leaders from a number of religious groups have voiced opposition to the proposals.
The Church of Scotland, the Catholic Church and the Scottish Association of Mosques held a meeting at Holyrood in May to set out their position.
