A woman working for the assisted suicide organisation Exit is on trial in Bern for murder after a procedure went wrong last year.
The patient was partially paralyzed and so needed help to insert the IV line to deliver the lethal drugs.
In such a case, it’s imperative the patient gives their consent to every step.
The nurse – asking for permission – inserted the line into the patient’s arm. The patient then turned the valve to start the drugs flowing.
After around 20 seconds, the nurse noticed a swelling around the puncture site meaning the needle had missed the vein. By this time the patient was unconscious.
The nurse then switched the line into the other arm – but as the patient didn’t give their consent, the nurse now faces murder charges.