Cyprus court to decide assisted suicide case

The Paphos district court in Cyprus will on Monday decide the fate of David Hunter, a British pensioner who is accused of helping his terminally ill wife to end her life. This case is significant for Cyprus, as it involves the contentious issue of assisted suicide.

According to a report on Philenews, the court initially charged Hunter with premeditated murder, but later reduced the charge to manslaughter, finding him guilty of the lesser offense.

Hunter has confessed to mercy killing his wife, Janice, 74, by suffocating her in December 2021 at their retirement home in Paphos.

His lawyers argue that Cyprus has not encountered a similar case before, but in other countries like Australia and the UK, similar cases have often resulted in suspended sentences.

In their closing statements, the defense claimed that Hunter acted spontaneously to fulfill his wife’s desperate plea to end her suffering after more than 50 years together.

Janice passed away from suffocation when Hunter covered her nose and mouth, after which he attempted to take his own life using pills and alcohol, as reported by Philenews.

Cyprus law mandates a life sentence for premeditated murder, but imposing such a sentence for manslaughter is exceedingly rare.

The court noted that the couple had a loving relationship during the two decades they lived in Cyprus.

Hunter has been in custody since December 2021 and testified earlier that Janice had repeatedly begged him to help her end her life due to her worsening illness. [Kathimerini Cyprus]