Disabled member of the British House of Lords is being harrassed for opposing assisted suicide.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Tanni Grey-Thompson

David Maddox reported for the Independent that Tanni Grey-Thompson, the former Paralympian star athlete who opposes the assisted suicide bill, revealed that she has received abusive messages from people because she opposes the Kim Leadbeater assisted suicide bill. Maddox reported:

Britain’s leading former Paralympian turned House of Lords peer has revealed she has been sent abusive emails accusing her of being "responsible for people dying in pain" amid her opposition to the assisted dying bill.

Crossbench peer Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson is among those expected to speak in a historic debate on Friday as the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill returns to parliament.

A long-time campaigner on the rights of disabled people, she said that while it has been difficult to read some of the correspondence directed at her on what is a divisive issue, she accepts it is "part of the job".

Grey-Thompsons' comments about the abuse she has received became known through her lobbying for more time to debate the assisted suicide bill. Maddox further explained:

Meanwhile, in her interview with the PA news agency, Baroness Grey-Thompson said: "I've had emails, people saying, 'thank you so much for protecting us'. And I've had some incredibly abusive ones as well, saying that I'm responsible for people dying in pain, and it will be on me."

She said her own experience with her mother's difficult death with cancer means she understands people's strong feelings, but insists there should be more focus on improving end-of-life care.

She said: "It's absolutely appalling that people are scared about how they're going to die. But we should be having proper specialist palliative care."

Tanni Grey-Thompson is a long-time disability rights activist who has consistently opposed the legalization of assisted suicide.

Previous articles concerning Tanni Grey-Thompson's position on assisted suicide (Link).