Twin ‘would have stopped’ sister from dying at Swiss euthanasia clinic had she identified
Wendy Duffy, 56, paid £10,000 to end her life at Pegasos, a Swiss assisted dying clinic, after the death of her son — but her twin sister says the family had no idea
Wendy Duffy died as a Swiss assisted suicide clinic(Image: Facebook)
The sister of a British mother who journeyed to Switzerland to end her life, following the death of her son four years prior, said the family “saw it coming at all”.
Wendy Duffy, 56, was not terminally ill but paid £10,000 to end her life at Pegasos, a Swiss assisted dying clinic, after the death of her son Marcus, 23, four years ago. The former care worker, from the West Midlands, had undergone years of therapy and took antidepressants but had been unable to come to terms with her son’s death.
Wendy’s twin sister has now alleged that her family found out about her death through the media and not through the clinic, despite Pegasos’ claims they informed the British woman’s four siblings. The twin sister, who opted to remain anonymous, told LBC: “We knew nothing about it, none of us saw it coming at all.” The sister claimed her daughter spotted news of the death on Instagram and showed her mother.
She stated: “If I’d have known, I would have been straight down to Birmingham, and I would have stopped her. I would have done everything in my power; I would have held on with both arms.”, reports the Mirror.
Wendy’s nephew, Marcus, criticised the Swiss clinic and claimed they did not inform the family before the heartbroken mum’s death. He declared: “Pegasos claimed they consulted family members as part of the decision-making process and spoke to all four siblings. This never took place. No one was contacted.”
Marcus says he has voiced his concerns to both Swiss and British police. The founder of the Pegasos clinic, Ruedi Habegger, previously told the Daily Mail: “What I can confirm is that four siblings have been informed. They gave their blessings.”
The process at the Swiss clinic involved interviews, forms and submitting medical records as a panel of experts including psychiatrists would have assessed Wendy’s case and approved it. Before her death, Habeggar said the British mum passed her final psychiatric assessment, a week before her death, and said she was “very decided”.
However, Marcus claimed his aunt showed “clear signs” of depression following her son’s death. He said: “In this case, Pegasos has taken a completely healthy 56-year-old woman, and not disqualified her on behalf of those mental health issues. How can someone, by virtue of suffering from depression and suicidal thoughts, be deemed of sound mind?”
There is no suggestion the clinic has broken any laws. Swiss law stipulates that assisted suicide is legal if it is not carried out for self-serving reasons and clinics must demonstrate that the patient’s condition was long-lasting, treatment-resistant and severe. The Mirror has contacted Pegasos for comment.
Wendy’s son tragically passed away four years ago after choking on a sandwich she had prepared for him during a hangover. In the days leading up to her own death, Wendy stated: “I won’t change my mind. I know it’s hard for you, sweetheart. It will be hard for everyone.
“But I want to die, and that’s what I’m going to do. And I’ll have a smile on my face when I do, so please be happy for me. My life; my choice.”
Marcus, while empathising with his aunt’s sorrow, doesn’t believe sufficient support was provided to her before she made the decision to go to Pegasos.
He said: “I understand her loss. I don’t blame her for doing what she did. She was suffering from a mental health episode, but, because of that, she should have been disqualified by Pegasos.”
