Euthanasia: Cyprus braces for the toughest question of them all

Hunter trial has brought to the forefront what will be a heated debate in the House

As parliament in Cyprus is set to reconvene again this autumn, a group of MPs are bracing themselves for the difficult legislation they seek to have passed as law: euthanasia.

A controversial topic worldwide, the debates surrounding the sensitive question of who has the right to decide over life and death, is deeply embedded in philosophical, ethical and religious questions. Personal autonomy and spiritual beliefs may come to clash as the House human rights committee begins the debate come September.

The recent trial of British pensioner David Hunter has inevitably brought the issue closer to home in Cyprus. The 76-year-old man suffocated his wife Janice to death, when she was aged 74 and suffering from MDS – a form of blood cancer.

Over the course of 19 months, police, court, witnesses and lawyers heard the man reiterate that his wife begged him to end her life as she could no longer bear her suffering. She wanted it all to end and asked him to help.

After he suffocated her to death in December 2021, he tried to end his life. Police found his body and his stomach was pumped at the hospital where he first received medical treatment.

Faced with the killing of his wife, he went to trial. He was acquitted of premeditated murder and found guilty of manslaughter. Hunter was then released due to the 19 months he had served behind bars as he awaited trial.

Prominent human rights lawyer Achilleas Demetriades described this a wise decision from the judges and points out there was a poignant message behind the manslaughter charge Hunter was eventually found guilty of: “It’s not murder.”

The question of murder has its ties with more conservative elements that have already risen to the surface as part of the debate. Akel MP Irene Charalambides announced in June she would be tabling a proposal to parliament for a law on medically assisted suicide.

Reactions were immediate and varied from one extreme suggesting this was a law kids would use to “kill their parents when they got fed up of them” to the other that this would become a government ploy to “kill off the weak and vulnerable”.

The biggest expected resistance is bound to come from the church, which holds the idea that life is given by God and therefore should only be taken by God.

Theologian Theodoros Kyriacou says a particularly contentious element he hears from those in favour of euthanasia is the idea of a ‘dignified death’.

“Every death has a form of dignity. Does the person that decides to endure the suffering rather than cut it short (by euthanasia) have any less dignity than the other?”

For Greens MP Alexandra Attalides, the question of dignity is intrinsically tied to autonomy. “This means that they can be clean, not suffer in pain.” Someone lying helpless on a hospital bed is not a picture of dignity, she maintains.

Though Attalides explains she is in favour of establishing a legislative framework “it must be very strict with a lot of security nets, so vulnerable people do not fall prey to things.”

This means for instance, ensuring that an elderly rich woman with no children of her own and a nephew that is bound to inherit her belongings is not swayed by ulterior motives.

Demetriades reflects on the debate and says “I believe that just as you have a right to life, you have a right to a dignified death. The point is to have the right to choose.”

He views the topic as an indication that Cypriot society is evolving and braving the difficult topic of euthanasia – which in Europe is legal in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg and more recently Germany and Spain. Beyond the EU bloc, it is legal in Canada, Colombia, New Zealand and Australia.

Head of the theologian association Christakis Efstathiou says the position of the church is clear: “there must be respect to life. This means not interfering at any point.”

But he maintains this should not mean the topic is not put up for debate. “Of course we understand that the discussion is built on the basis of relieving people of pain that are at the terminal stage of their life.”

Efstathiou explains he observed the Hunter case closely, describing it as a horrible tragedy. “I was moved deeply by this case. I wanted them to release him. We can all imagine the suffering behind this.”

He highlights the trial has demonstrated the need to have more support available for people who are dealing with such horrific problems. Though Attalides is on the opposite end of the spectrum favouring a law legalising euthanasia, she sees see eye-to-eye with Efstathiou on this point.

“What we see currently is that the burden of care falls on the relatives of the terminally ill person. But no one understands how heavy a load that is. Especially in the case of Hunter where they are elderly. They are weak and frail.”

It takes physical and mental strength, which was clear the Hunter couple needed more help with, Attalides illustrates.

“If there was a professional system in place, then this could have also given (David) Hunter the relief to be able to leave the house for a short while, to see friends and go out. Instead, both he and his wife became trapped in the confines of their home, crippled by the impact of her disease which was hitting them both in different ways.

“Imagine, these two people wanted to end their own life. How alone must they have felt?” Efstathiou muses. He says rather than consider euthanasia as an exit to their plight, the answer should be surrounding people facing such suffering with love – in facilities that provide pain relief.

“We are not sidelining the difficulties of such cases. But it has to do with how we also view death. If I see it as the end, I also wouldn’t be opposed to euthanasia. But if people feel this is the path to the next life, this changes perspective.”

He also cautions that though euthanasia and medically assisted suicide is being discussed for terminal cases, this may open Pandora’s box for people undergoing mental suffering.

“If someone has experienced deep and horrific trauma, would they too not want to seek an end to their suffering?”

The law proposal as it stands specifies those eligible are at least 18 years old, are Cypriot citizens or permanent residents and must have an irreversible illness with no more than six months left to live, that is causing them “unbearable pain”.

Cyprus’ bioethics committee has put its weight in favour of euthanasia under strict conditions while a survey last year revealed almost 50 per cent of nursing staff agree that euthanasia should be offered to patients who are suffering.

However only 23 per cent said they would actively participate in carrying out the process.