A recent report by the German Society for Human Dying (DGHS) suggests that around 1,200 individuals in Germany will likely take advantage of so-called assisted dying in 2024. The patient protection organization itself has facilitated 623 assisted dying cases, according to DGHS Chairman Robert Roßbruch, who made the statement on Tuesday morning.
A query to Dignitas Deutschland revealed that the organization carried out 183 assisted dying cases, while Sterbehilfe Deutschland performed 171. Additionally, it is estimated that 200 to 250 cases were conducted by solo physicians or other third-party individuals.
In 2021, the DGHS had facilitated 120 assisted dying cases, whereas in 2023, the number rose to 418. The organization attributes the increase to its initial lack of preparedness in terms of organization and personnel, as well as a low level of awareness in the population about legal and professional assisted dying. The DGHS now claims to have reached a certain saturation point in the number of requests it receives, despite the fact that only 0.1 percent of the approximately 10,500 suicides in the previous year involved assisted dying.
The majority of the requests for assistance came from individuals aged between 80 and 89. In contrast, the number of requests from those under the age of 50 was relatively low. The most common primary motivations cited were multimorbidity, followed by a lack of life satisfaction, cancer, and neurological diseases.
“The majority of people have not taken advantage of their right to self-determination at the end of life due to a lack of information” lamented DGHS Chairman Robert Roßbruch. “There is an urgent need for enlightenment, also through serious reporting.” The medical community also needs to be better informed about the legal situation and the practice of assisted dying.