Woman who died at Dignitas leaves message for politicians urging law change

A cancer sufferer who felt she had no choice but to travel to Dignitas left a message for politicians in the wake of her death, pleading for a change to the UK’s current “cruel law” which criminalises assisted dying.

Paola Marra died at the Swiss clinic on Wednesday, having fought breast and bowel cancer.

The 53-year-old former music industry and charity sector worker teamed up with renowned photographer Rankin beforehand to speak out about assisted dying.

In a film released on Thursday, she said: “When you watch this, I will be dead. I’m choosing to seek assisted dying because I refuse to let a terminal illness dictate the terms of my existence.

“The pain and suffering can become unbearable. It’s a slow erosion of dignity, the loss of independence, the stripping away of everything that makes life worth living.

“Assisted dying is not about giving up. In fact, it’s about reclaiming control. It’s not about death, it’s about dignity.

“It’s about giving people the right to end their suffering on their own terms, with compassion and respect.

“So, as you watch this, I am dead. But you watching this could help change the laws around assisted dying.”

In an accompanying open letter to party leaders at Westminster, Ms Marra said that, due to the current law, she had to travel to Dignitas alone because she did not want her loved ones “to be questioned by the police or get into trouble”.

The Canadian, who had lived in London for more than 30 years, wrote: “I resent that I don’t have a choice. I think it’s unfair and cruel.

“And for so many dying people who can’t afford to pay an average of £15,000 to travel to Dignitas, this cruel law will force them to endure a painful death, or drive them to take their own lives.”

Rankin said he met Ms Marra on a project over Christmas and had been “floored” by her story.

He said: “I felt like I wanted to show somebody who wasn’t suicidal.

“She wasn’t depressed, she wasn’t unhappy, she wasn’t somebody that didn’t love her life.

“She really loved her life and she really wanted her life to mean something. There is a wider purpose to (the film) The Last Request.

“In doing these photos and this film we wanted to highlight the need to change the legislation around end-of-life care.”

Earlier this month Sir Keir Starmer said he is “committed” to allowing a vote on legalising assisted dying should Labour win the general election.

The party leader made the pledge to campaigner Dame Esther Rantzen, whose revelation that she had joined Dignitas as she lives with stage four cancer has put the subject under the spotlight in recent months.

But Dame Esther’s daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, said Sir Keir’s commitment would be too late for “thousands of people who are suffering today” and has urged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to “have a vote now”.

Number 10 has previously said it would be up to Parliament whether or not to again debate legalising assisted dying.

In February, a report by MPs warned that the Government must consider what to do if the law is changed in part of the UK or in the Isle of Man or Jersey.

The Health and Social Care Committee said legalisation in at least one jurisdiction is looking “increasingly likely” and suggested the Government must be “actively involved” in discussions about how to approach differences in the law.

Assisted suicide is banned in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a maximum prison sentence of 14 years.

In Scotland, it is not a specific criminal offence but assisting the death of someone can leave a person open to murder or other charges.

A Bill put forward by Liberal Democrat MSP Liam McArthur to make assisted dying legal in Scotland is expected to come before Holyrood in the coming weeks.