An Irish woman travelled to Switzerland to end her life through assisted suicide and her family only learned of her death afterwards, leaving them devastated. Such situations can occur in any jurisdiction where euthanasia or assisted suicide is legal, as there is generally no legal requirement to inform family members in advance. The decision is treated as a private matter between the individual and the providers.
The recent death of Maureen Slough, an Irish woman who travelled to Switzerland to end her life through assisted suicide, has reignited concerns about the country’s permissive approach to the practice, and the possibility of similar laws being introduced in Ireland.
Maureen’s family were left shocked and devastated after learning of her death only after the fact. The news came not from a relative or a doctor, but through a WhatsApp message from Pegasos, the Swiss assisted-suicide clinic where she died.
“It was one o’clock our time… I got the message saying my mum was gone,” her daughter, Megan Royal, recalled. The message stated that Maureen “passed away peacefully… embraced by a Pegasos nurse, an attendant, and a dog,” with Elvis gospel music and Amazing Grace playing.
Maureen was not terminally ill. According to her daughter, Megan Royal, she had endured years of chronic pain, bereavements, and two prior suicide attempts.
Switzerland is known for “suicide tourism” as it is relatively easy to access. It allows assisted suicide for any adult who has full mental capacity, is free from coercion, and can self-administer a lethal substance. There is no requirement for a terminal diagnosis or even illness. A doctor must confirm mental capacity and prescribe the means, but the person assisting does not have to be a medical professional.
Pegasos claims Maureen underwent psychiatric evaluation and provided documentation of “unbearable chronic pain”. Her daughter Megan disputes the process.
Critics say this amounts to “assisted suicide on demand,” and Pegasos openly states that it supports the right of any competent adult to choose death, regardless of nationality. The organisation has encouraged greater international acceptance so people “needn’t travel to Switzerland” to end their lives.
Last year, commenting on the report of the Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying, a spokesperson for the Swiss clinic said: “At Pegasos, we believe that adults capable of judgement should be allowed to exercise their right to a self-determined, dignified death. We hope that the social and individual acceptance of assisted dying, also in foreign countries, might improve in the future, so that people from abroad needn’t travel to Switzerland.”
The Swiss model was defended by Irish campaigner Tom Curran at the hearings of the Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying. He told them that he personally knew of eight Irish people who had ended their lives at Pegasos in 2023 alone. Many, he said, travelled via the UK or used a UK address to avoid detection from Irish authorities.
Curran is the director of Exit International, a group lobbying for highly permissive assisted suicide laws. He has helped draft proposals to legalise the practice in Ireland.
Another Swiss clinic, Dignitas, currently counts 123 Irish members and says it has assisted at least 13 Irish citizens to die since 1998.
What happened to Maureen could happen anywhere assisted suicide is legal. In Switzerland, or anywhere else where assisted suicide is permitted, there is no legal obligation for clinics to inform relatives beforehand. The decision is treated as a private arrangement between the individual and the provider.
Supporters of such laws argue that this protects personal autonomy. the belief that individuals should have the ultimate say over their own lives, including when and how they end. In such a framework, families may have no legal say in the decision, regardless of the emotional consequences. But critics warn it can isolate the person who wishes to die, and leave families blindsided and emotionally shattered. In some cases, families might even have a vested interest, financial or otherwise, in approving, or at least not opposing, the death of a relative.
If Ireland were to legislate for assisted suicide, there is little to suggest that families would be informed in advance or have any legal say. This risks normalising death on demand and undermining protections for vulnerable people.
The Swiss approach is not a model to emulate. It should serve as a warning, not an example.
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