Assisted suicide charge in Hinton Alberta

The Edmonton Sun reported that someone has been charged with aiding a suicide in Hinton Alberta. We only have the news reports and cannot comment on what occurred.

The article in the Edmonton Sun stated:

Hinton Healthcare Centre

The mysterious death outside the Hinton hospital is being probed as an assisted suicide, said Hinton RCMP.

Mounties were called to the Hinton Healthcare Centre May 10 early last Friday morning.

They located a dead body in a vehicle parked in front of the building. A second person was admitted to the hospital with “non-life-threatening injuries.”

The local detachment called in the Edmonton RCMP Major Crimes Unit to investigate.

The unit is called in as a matter of policy when there is a suspected crime involving an unknown cause of death or “unusual circumstances,” said RCMP spokeswoman Sgt. Patricia Neely, RCMP.

That second person was charged Wednesday with aiding or abetting a suicide.

But police are refusing to release further details about the case.

A publication ban on the identity of the accused and the deceased was issued the same day. Age and sex of either person are being withheld.

“It’s not standard procedure but...(the publication ban) was requested and granted by the judge,” Neely said adding it’s due to the sensitivity typical to reporting on suicides and can protect the privacy of connected families.

The accused is the one who alerted people at the healthcare centre to the situation, Neely said.

But the sergeant would not comment on details of the case, such as how the deceased died or the extent of injury to the accused.

“Unfortunately we can’t get into (medical]) status beyond saying that it was non-life-threatening — or in stable condition — because of privacy issues,” said Neely.

“The investigation that our Major Crimes Unit conducted determined that the most applicable charge was aiding suicide, based on the information and evidence that they had.”

The accused is scheduled to appear in Hinton provincial court June 5.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition offers condolences to the friends and family of the woman who died.