In a compelling open letter, over 100 women of faith have voiced their apprehensions about the proposed legalization of assisted suicide, emphasizing its potential risks for victims of domestic abuse. This diverse group of signatories, including the Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, and other faith representatives, argue that the legislation lacks adequate protections for society’s most vulnerable.
The women express a unified concern, despite holding varied opinions on assisted suicide itself, that the proposed law could be exploited by domestic abusers to coerce victims into state-assisted death. They point to a recent report indicating that suicide rates among domestic abuse victims already surpass the number of those killed by their abusers, suggesting a grim potential for coercion.
A significant critique of the bill is the removal of the requirement for High Court approval, which initially assured many MPs of the law’s safeguards. The alteration to a panel of experts has reignited concerns among previous supporters about the sufficiency of these protections.
Additional criticisms highlight the bill’s failure to adequately protect individuals with learning disabilities and those suffering from anorexia. The letter warns that the bill’s current form could pressure vulnerable women to opt for death as a solution to inadequate care and unaddressed structural issues.
Concluding the letter, the women assert, “This is no way to legislate, especially not on matters of life and death. We have serious concerns about the bill and its lack of safeguards. The bill has too much potential to hurt vulnerable people and so we are uniting as women from across faith traditions to speak up for vulnerable women, including victims of violence against women and girls, and disabled women, and raise our concerns publicly.”
This article was originally written by www.christiantoday.com
