Prof. Dr. Gunnar Duttge in: Die Zeit – Helper or Perpetrator? By Martina Keller

In issue No. 08/2024 of Die Zeit, Martina Keller writes about the assisted suicide of two doctors and the highly controversial question, "Are they allowed to do that?" Prof. Dr. Gunnar Duttge is quoted, and his expertise in this subject is drawn upon in the discussion of this core question.

In her article, Ms. Keller mentions the 2020 ruling of the Federal Constitutional Court, which stipulates that the "free and responsible decision" of the person wishing to die is a criterion for non-punishable assistance in suicide. An important criterion for determining the "free and responsible decision" is durability. Prof. Dr. Duttge's expertise is consulted on the question of defining "durability."

Prof. Dr. Duttge is also quoted at the end of the article. Here, he explains the difference between pathological and free and responsible decisions to commit suicide and how this distinction affects the medical decision to assist in a suicide.