Victory for euthanasia man

2004-05-26 10:54

Hobart, Australia - A man who helped his elderly mother commit suicide after she spent her last year in pain that could not be controlled by drugs was freed on a 12-month suspended sentence by a court here on Wednesday.

John Godfrey, 63, had faced a sentence of up to 14 years in jail but he was deemed by a Supreme Court judge to have acted solely out of compassion and love in helping his mother Elizabeth Godfrey, 88, to kill herself in December, 2002.

Judge Peter Underwood's decision was hailed by euthanasia advocates as an important precedent which showed "clear compassion".

The court was told that Mrs Godfrey, a television celebrity chef during the 1970s and 80s, had been a member of the Voluntary Euthanasia Society for about 20 years.

The judge said her suicide in 2002 was no surprise as it followed two previous attempts.

Suffering chronic back and muscular pain, she was allergic to morphine and had become incontinent. She had been told she could no longer live independently and would have to go into institutionalised care.

"The decision Mrs Godfrey made to end her life was a rational one and, viewed objectively, soundly based," Underwood said.

Compassion and love

"John Godfrey's willingness to aid her do this played no part in the decision. His crime was motivated solely by compassion and love. It was an act of last resort."

Godfrey, an award-winning oceanographer, was embraced by family and supporters outside the court.

He said his mother was a woman who lived life boldly. "She wanted to meet her death in the same sort of bold and independent spirit," he said.

"The last year of her life was brutally painful both physically and emotionally and the drugs for palliative care didn't work for her.

"Despite this, she maintained her courage and her dignity and her sense of humour right to the very end. This has been a source of comfort, of strength and of inspiration to all of her family for the last 18 months and will be for the rest of our lives."

Voluntary Euthanasia Society of Tasmania spokesperson Dr Helen Cutts said the judgement showed the law to be anachronistic and in need of change.

Euthanasia campaigner, Dr Philip Nitschke, said the judge had made insightful comments, which he hoped the Tasmanian government would "take to heart".

"One would hope there will be a community outcry for legislators to re-engage in an issue they have been so keen to push under the carpet," he said.

- AFP