The Federal Court of Justice (BGH) has acquitted a woman who had injected her bedridden husband with a fatal overdose of insulin at his request.
The 6th Criminal Senate in Leipzig ruled that the former nurse was "in no way punishable under any circumstances".
She did not kill her husband by doing anything.
According to the decision of June 28 published on Thursday, their behavior is more like assisting suicide without being punished.
(Az. 6 StR 68/21)
In November 2020, the district court in Stendal sentenced the woman to one year in prison on probation for killing on demand.
Her husband put his life in her hands.
According to the BGH, this “does not do justice to the special features of the case”.
Not she, but the man who had been ill for years and had wanted to die for a long time dominated what was happening.
He was also conscious for a while and could have asked to dial 911.
The German Foundation for Patient Protection sees this as the "dam to active euthanasia broken".
"With its decision, the Federal Court of Justice has de facto lifted the criminal prohibition on killing on request," criticized board member Eugen Brysch.