Overview
- DGHS confirmed that Alice and Ellen Kessler, both 89, died by assisted suicide in their home in Grünwald near Munich.
- Under the 2020 Constitutional Court ruling, non‑commercial assistance to suicide is lawful when the final act is performed by the person, whereas active euthanasia remains a criminal offense.
- DGHS describes a set procedure: a jurist assesses free and informed choice, a physician places an access for medication, the person self‑administers a high‑dose anesthetic, and authorities are notified afterward.
- Reported cases have risen, with 623 DGHS‑accompanied deaths in 2024, roughly 800 projected for 2025 by DGHS figures, and about 1,200 nationwide estimated by DGHS president Robert Roßbruch.
- Parliament has failed to pass competing regulatory bills, new cross‑party drafting is underway, critics urge registration and tighter oversight, and a suicide‑prevention law is discussed for 2026.