Irish woman learns about mother's assisted suicide death through WhatsApp

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Eliana Nunes reported for the Sun (UK) on August 5, 2025 that An Irish family was left devastated after allegedly receiving a text from a Swiss assisted dying clinic that their mum was dead and her ashes would be sent by post.

As reported in the Sun:

Maureen Slough, a 58-year-old from Cavan, travelled to the Pegasos clinic on July 8 to seek an assisted death - without her family's knowledge - according to the Irish Independent. 

Maureen reportedly told her family that she and a friend were going to Lithuania.

Her partner, Mick Lynch didn't even know about her impending death. The report states: 

"I was actually talking to her that morning and she was full of life,"

"She said after having her breakfast... she was going out to sit in the sun. Maybe she was heading off to that place. I still thought she was coming home."

Maureen and Megan

The report indicated that her daughter, Megan Royal, received a WhatsApp message from the suicide clinic stating that her mother had died while listening to gospel music by Elvis Presley. The report continued:

The family is shocked that the clinic would accept an application for assisted dying from Maureen, who they say had long struggled with mental illness.

She had also attempted suicide a year prior, after the deaths of her two sisters, according to the family.

Adding to their dismay, the family claims the clinic never informed them of her plans.

Friends are reportedly horrified by the clinic's method of returning the ashes via parcel post.

The report indicated that the family found out Maureen had paid a reported £13,000 to the Pegasos Swiss Association to assist her death.

The report also indicated that there is a dispute about communication. Pegasus claims that Megan (Maureen's daughter) sent a letter to Pegasos accepting her mother's death plan and confirmed it by email. Megan stated that the letter and email were fake.

The report stated that: 

Maureen's brother wants the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, along with Swiss authorities, to conduct an investigation.

"I am working on the assumption that my sister created this email and the clinic’s procedures were woefully inadequate in verification," he wrote.

"The Pegasos clinic has faced numerous criticisms in the UK for their practices with British nationals, and the circumstances in which my sister took her life are highly questionable."

Pegasos claims that they carried out an extensive assessment of Maureen's mental health - including an independent psychiatric evaluation. Pegasos also claims that: Maureen told the clinic she was in unbearable and unrelievable chronic pain and that they received supporting medical documentation from her pain-management consultant.

The report concluded with:

Maureen's family's story is not unique.

Other families have also hit out at Pegasos, claiming they were left in the dark about their loved ones’ plans to go through with assisted deaths.

In 2023, Pegasos reportedly vowed to contact a person's relatives beforehand after 47-year-old teacher Alistair Hamilton - who had no diagnosed illness - died, leaving his family shocked.

However, in 2025, the organisation appeared to break this promise.

Anne Canning, a 51-year-old British mum, who was battling depression after the sudden death of her son 19 months prior, ended her life at the clinic, ITV reported.

Previous articles concerning the Pegasos suicide clinic:

• Swiss assisted suicide clinic facing lawsuit and questions concerning foreign suicides (Link). 
• A mother's warning about the death of her son by assisted suicide in Switzerland (Link). 
• Euthanasia activist, Sean Davison, arrested in London England concerning the death of a 79-year-old woman (Link).
• Swiss assisted suicide clinic's many controversial deaths (Link). 
• My husbands death made me more opposed to assisted suicide (Link).
• Swiss study: Legalizing assisted suicide does not lessen the number of common suicides (Link).