Assisted suicide - doctors should have conscience rights too.

Alex Schadenberg

Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Politicians, Harold Albrecht MP and Michael Harris MPP held a round table discussion on conscience rights in Kitchener yesterday. Luisa D'Amato, wrote an excellent report for the Kitchener-Waterloo Record on the event. D'Amato begins by writing:

Physicians are supposed to save lives, not hasten death. 

So it's not surprising that some doctors are having problems seeing how they fit into Canada's new law that legalizes physician-assisted suicide for some patients. 

It turns out that conscientious objectors like Sandra Brickell, a physician who works in Kitchener hospitals, are not protected. 

"When somebody wants to end their life, it goes against what we've been trained to do," she said at a meeting Friday with several other doctors, Kitchener-Conestoga MP Harold Albrecht and Kitchener-Conestoga MPP Michael Harris. 

"I cannot truthfully say there is no life worth living," Brickell said.

D'Amato then explains that in Ontario conscience rights are not legally protected:

Last summer, Parliament passed the law allowing those with a "grievous and irremediable medical condition" to die with the assistance of health-care professionals. 

But in Ontario, there is no provincial law protecting doctors who cannot perform assisted dying because it is against their religious or ethical beliefs. 

The absence of a law leaves physicians in the hands of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, which regulates doctors. The college says doctors don't have to do the procedure themselves, but they are required to refer the patient to a physician who will. It's called an "effective referral." 

Brickell says this still compels her to participate, indirectly.

Amato then reports her concerns about how the assisted suicide law works:

She has profound concerns about how assisted suicide — which was mandated for Canadians by a Supreme Court decision last year — would work. 

What if the patient feels like too much of a burden on family members? What if an underfunded, overworked health-care system feels the pressure to move the patient along? What if the wish for suicide was something that could be treated with the right mental-health medications? 

Brickell understands that the new law gives patients the right to die with assistance. But she wants her rights, too. And that's the right to step away. 

In Alberta, patients whose doctors decline to participate in euthanasia can have their care transferred to another doctor if they're in hospital. If they're at home, they can call a number that provides access to a wide range of services, including physician-assisted suicide. Either way, the patient can access the service without the participation of his or her doctor. 

But in Ontario, there is no such solution. Doctors must either provide the service or refer the patient to another doctor who will. Disobey, and you could lose your licence.

Bioethicist, Udo Schuklenk disagrees. He wants students who oppose euthanasia to be denied access to medical school:

There could be other repercussions down the road. One bioethicist at Queen's University, Udo Schuklenk, has suggested that students who couldn't set aside their moral values shouldn't be admitted into medical schools.

Harris and Albrecht support conscience rights:

Harris and Albrecht, who pushed in Parliament for respect for conscientious objectors, listened carefully to Brickell and the others on Friday. 

Harris, an opposition MPP, said he will now make the case to the Ontario ministry of health and the attorney general to create legislation that better protects these conscientious objectors. 

I hope the Ontario government listens and agrees.

Conscience rights for medical professionals are essential. It is one thing to give doctors the right in law to lethally inject their patients, it is another thing to force doctors to participate.

Previous articles on conscience rights for medical professionals.

• I am just trying to live by my conscience.
• National Post: Doctors conscience rights must be upheld.
• Letter writing campaign: Protecting conscience rights for medical professionals.

Harold Albrecht: Physician Assisted Suicide Op-ed

This article written by Harold Albrecht and published on his website.

When I learned that I would be sitting as an alternate member of the committee created to study Physician Assisted Suicide (PAS) I immediately felt the full weight of the responsibility that has been given to me as I serve the constituents of Kitchener-Conestoga for a fourth term.

Let me say at the outset that I do not support PAS in any shape or form. Each of us has a worldview shaped and influenced by many factors. My worldview is shaped by my family experiences, my education, opportunities to serve in my community, opportunities to observe many cultures, and is most profoundly shaped by my faith. I believe that every human life has intrinsic dignity and value, regardless of perceived disability or deformity or of perceptions of being “a burden”. So I cannot support any legislation that the government puts forward that will in any way devalue human life.

That being said, the Supreme Court of Canada has determined that the Government must change the criminal code in order to allow for PAS in Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada has done this completely rejecting the fact that the elected members of the House of Commons have rejected initiatives to legalize PAS on at least 15 occasions since 1991. Most recently, a bill to allow PAS was rejected in April 2010 by a vote of 59-228. It is not the job of the Supreme Court to create laws but rather to interpret them.

It is my view, that because of the unrealistically short time-frame given to create legislation regarding Physician Assisted Suicide, the committee has rushed to put forward recommendations which if implemented into law, would create a very weak and permissive regime which will not adequately protect our most vulnerable Canadian citizens.

The trial judge of Carter made a point to say that there must be “stringent limits that are scrupulously monitored and enforced”. It is now very clear that the Liberal dominated committee report to the government fails to do this! In its one-sided, overly permissive report – which will endanger lives of vulnerable Canadians, there is a lack of any meaningful safeguards. Risks are too great to allow this weak system to be implemented.

In Canada we no longer practice Capital Punishment. The risk of killing one innocent person by way of capital punishment is far too great and I believe that this same principle should apply in the case of PAS.

We can learn from other jurisdictions which have allowed PAS for a period of time. Even with so-called “safeguards”, Belgium has seen a great degree of “mission creep” as the number of cases of PAS has increased dramatically. In Belgium PAS has been legal for over a decade. In 2003 there were 347 cases; in 2015 there were over 2000 cases. Canada’s population is approximately 3 times larger than Belgium, so it’s not inconceivable that we could see up to 6000 cases of PAS in Canada per year. This would be national tragedy!

We as legislators should be doing everything we can to make sure that not one single person dies needlessly. It is with this in mind that I put forward the following, common sense recommendations that I believe will do a far better job at protecting the vulnerable in Canada:

A disabled man's plea to Canada's new Prime Minister about Assisted Suicide.

This letter was written by Mark Pickup and published on his blog on October 31, 2015

The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
OTTAWA, Ontario K1A 0A6

Dear Prime Minister:

Supreme Court ruling for assisted suicide

Mark Pickup

I am writing to plead with you to invoke the notwithstanding clause of  the Canadian Charter of Rights and freedoms and override the monstrous Supreme Court decision to strike down the nation’s law against assisted suicide. It will be consistent with your previous support for a National Suicide Prevention Strategy that received unanimous support of Parliament in October of 2012. The high court’s odious decision threatens to set back advances in disability inclusion forty years that I and others have fought hard to gain.

I have been incurably ill with aggressive multiple sclerosis (MS) for more than thirty years. Its degenerative nature gradually stripped me of physical function from being healthy and athletic to living in an electric wheelchair. If assisted suicide had been available during the mid-1980s I might have opted for it at a low point. I’m so glad I did not seek out a Jack Kevorkian. I never would have known my grandchildren. You see, Prime Minister, quality of life changes. What gave my life quality in 1984 is not what gives my life quality in 2015. Physical function is not so important to me anymore; it is love that brings quality to my life now: To love and be loved. 

You did the right thing in 2012 by supporting a national suicide prevention strategy. Do the right thing again and invoke the notwithstanding clause, even though it will be unpopular. A national suicide prevention strategy must be for all Canadians, not just the healthy. Support increased emphasis on palliative medicine in medical schools and nursing programs across the country.

Thank you for reading and considering my letter. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

I am, Sir,
Yours very truly,
Mark Davis Pickup

Marc Kajouji becomes a suicide prevention advocate after his sister, Nadia, dies by assisted suicide.

By Alex Schadenberg

Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Yesterday, an former from Minnesota, was found guilty of attempting to assist the suicide of Canadian teen, Nadia Kajouji in 2008. Today is world suicide prevention day.

Marc Kajouji, who has become a suicide prevention advocate with the suicide prevention group Your Life Counts responded to the Ottawa Citizen concerning the conviction of William Melchert-Dinkel that:

“It doesn’t change anything, I still have lost my sister, but at least there’s some sort of followup and a way to highlight the issue because there isn’t a voice for the 4,000 other families in Canada that go through this, (suicide)”

Marc Kajouji

Marc Kajouji told the Ottawa Citizen that he isn't seeking justice for Nadia's death but rather a change to the system:

“It’s tough, because I wish there were better checks and balances in the system such as the medicine she was on, the different things the school could have done, or the privacy act, or Internet regulations, so I don’t direct it at any one person or outlet,” he said. “I do feel that it’s an overall umbrella of an issue that needs to be addressed.”

Kajouji is waiting for Nadia's case to effect Canadian law. The Ottawa Citizen reported:

“(Motion 388) was ‘Nadia’s Law’ that was passed unanimously in the House of Commons and it’s just sitting on a shelf collecting dust,”

Albrecht with Kajouji

Motion 388 passed unanimously in the House of Commons on November 18, 2009. It was introduced in Parliament by Harold Albrecht MP. The Ottawa Citizen article stated:

The motion was to frame the euthanasia and assisted suicide debate by making sure the federal government clarified Section 241 of the Criminal Code, which outlaws counselling or aiding suicide, to apply to online predators looking to encourage or assist suicide.

Section 241 of the Criminal Code, Canada's assisted suicide act, is being challenged in the courts by the euthanasia lobby. In June 2012, Justice Lynn Smith, of the BC court, struck down Section 241 as unconstitutional. In October 2013, the BC Court of Appeal overturned Justice Smith's flawed decision and on October 15, 2014 the Supreme Court of Canada will hear the challenge to Section 241 and the Criminal Code provisions that protect Canadians from euthanasia.

If the Supreme Court of Canada strikes down Canada's assisted suicide laws, then any protection in law for teenagers like Nadia Kajouji will also be removed. Canada's assisted suicide laws equally protect all Canadians from others who would aid, counsel or encourage a vulnerable person to suicide.

An Associated Press article, stated that:

Evidence in the case showed Melchert-Dinkel was obsessed with suicide and sought out depressed people online. He posed as a suicidal female nurse, feigning compassion and offering step-by-step instructions on how they could kill themselves. He acknowledged participating in online chats about suicide with up to 20 people and entering into fake suicide pacts with about 10, five of whom he believed killed themselves.

Nadia Kajouji

Melchert-Dinkel wanted to watch Nadia Kajouji commit suicide on front of her webcam.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is intervening at the Supreme Court of Canada on October 15 in the assisted suicide/euthanasia case (Carter case). EPC is urging the Supreme Court to uphold the laws protecting people from euthanasia and assisted suicide.

Palliative care Motion 456 debated in Canadian parliament

By Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

Charlie Angus

Tuesday April 1, Charlie Angus MP (Timmins - James Bay NDP) had his first hour of debate on his private members motion (M 456) for a National Palliative and End-of-Life Care Strategy in Canada.

I was fortunate to witness the first hour of debate in Ottawa in the House of Commons. Link to the debate in parliament.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) wants its supporters to contact their Member of Parliament to ask them to support M 456. Link to the Member of Parliament contact information.

Motion 456:

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should establish a Pan-Canadian Palliative and End-of-life Care Strategy by working with provinces and territories on a flexible, integrated model of palliative care that: (a) takes into account the geographic, regional, and cultural diversity of urban and rural Canada; (b) respects the cultural, spiritual and familial needs of Canada’s First Nation, Inuit and Métis people; and (c) has the goal of (i) ensuring all Canadians have access to high quality home-based and hospice palliative end-of-life care, (ii) providing more support for caregivers, (iii) improving the quality and consistency of home and hospice palliative end-of-life care in Canada, (iv) encouraging Canadians to discuss and plan for end-of-life care.

Angus, the sponsor of M 456 spoke first to the Motion. He first thanked the many groups and individuals who have supported M 456 from across Canada he stated:

I would like to thank the medical leaders, medical organizations, front-line service providers who are serving people in need, and the social workers, pharmacists, nurses and doctors, for the support that we received. I would also like to thank members of the various spiritual communities of Canada who have supported this motion.

Not to be Forgotten

Angus then acknowledged the work of the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care who published an all-party report on these issue. Angus stated:

I would also like to thank the incredible work of the all-party committee. The Parliament of Canada is known as a relatively toxic place at most times, but members of all parties came together on this vital issue and worked hard. I would like to recognize the members of the Conservative, Liberal, and New Democratic parties who worked on the study and wanted to bring forward to Parliament the need for us to establish this pan-Canadian strategy on palliative care. I believe that the motion I am bringing forward is carrying forward the work of this all-party committee.

Angus then explained how Motion 456 came together. He stated:

One of its key recommendations (Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care) is that the committee strongly urged that the federal government re-establish a palliative care secretariat for the sake of developing and implementing a national palliative and end-of-life care strategy. In honour of the work that my colleagues in the other parties and New Democrats did on that committee, we are bringing forward that motion tonight.

Suicide Prevention - Bill C-300 passes second reading in parliament.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition applauds Harold Albrecht MP (Kitchener-Conestoga) for successfully steering Bill C-300 through second reading in Canada's parliament. C-300 is a bill that intends to launch a national suicide prevention strategy or plan in Canada.

Albrecht, who has been working for several years to create greater awareness of the need for the Canada's federal government to take a larger role in the prevention of suicide, successfully steered Bill C-300 through second reading with only 3 Members of Parliament opposing the bill on Wednesday February 15.

The difficulty with creating a national suicide prevention strategy is that it will require provincial governments to also support its direction. Albrecht has established a clear direction through Bill C-300 that will open the doors to the type of cooperation that will be necessary to create an effective national suicide prevention strategy.


Jack Hicks, a social science researcher in Iqaluit said to CBC News that the bill is a step in the right direction, especially since Canada is one of the only developed countries without a national suicide prevention strategy in place. Hicks stated:

“My hope is that everything this bill mentions will be done as quickly as possible, as effectively as possible, and Canada goes into catch-up mode,”

Albrecht is also the co-chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care that released a report last November that outlined the necessary direction for effectively reducing suicide through national and provincial cooperation.


Bill C-300 will now go to committee for further debate and then return to parliament for its final reading, sometime later this year.

Your Life Counts, a national suicide prevention group has been very involved with building the infrastructure for a national suicide prevention strategy.

Suicide Prevention Bill - Overwhelmingly passes in Canadian parliament

Bill C300 passes in the House of Commons

OTTAWA, ON (February 15th, 2012) — Today the House of Commons passed Bill C300, an Act respecting a Federal Framework for Suicide Prevention, at Second Reading, by a vote of 285 in favour, and 3 opposed.A bill that was brought forward by Harold Albrecht (MP) Kitchener-Conestoga.


Link to the Your Life Counts media release.

Many good people and organizations over many years have worked tirelessly across Canada towards establishing a national framework for suicide prevention. The approval of Bill c300 in Parliament is a victory for all who have worked to this end. Let us not forget the immense human cost and suffering that continues each and every second as families devasted by their loss of a loved one seek to find hope and meaning for their future. May they find hope and know that they are not alone and that this victory is also theirs – as hollow as the victory may seem for them, let this new and exciting step forward be a good thing that has come out of the pain and the suffering.

YLC Founder Rory Butler is very grateful to Harold Albrecht MP for his tenacity and perseverance to see Bill c300 passed and followed through to law. We must also be thankful for Megan Leslie MP – for her steadfast support and also Bob Rae MP among others.

This has been a major, non partisan effort and the task is far from over. For Rory Butler this is a huge encouragement in the work of YLC. Rory has been working tirelessly on the frontline towards Bill C300 and much more for well over a decade.

Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care offers great hope to Canadians.

By Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition 

A great gift was given to Canada yesterday. The Report of the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care was released yesterday in Ottawa. The report titled: Not to be Forgotten: Care of Vulnerable Canadians, focusses on improving palliative care for all Canadians, suicide prevention strategies and protecting people from elder abuse.

The Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care is an all-party committee that grew out of a common goal of identifying concrete ways to improve the care and protection for all Canadians when they are experiencing difficult circumstances.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) stated in our media release that we endorsed the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on Palliative and Compassionate Care. Our legal counsel, Hugh Scher, stated:

"Implementation of the recommendations of this Parliamentary report should eliminate any further call for legalized assisted suicide or euthanasia in Canada by vastly improving care for every Canadian, especially those who are vulnerable."

At the press conference, in Ottawa, for the release of the report, Joe Comartin (NDP) - Windsor Riverside, Harold Albrecht (CPC) - Kitchener Conestoga, and Frank Valeriote (Lib) - Guelph, spoke on the different areas within the report.

Joe Comartin

Joe Comartin spoke on the palliative care recommendations in the report. He stated that only 16 - 30% of Canadians have access to palliative care. Palliative care services are a patch-work quilt with varying levels of care within every region. Even within Toronto there are regional disparities of access to palliative care.

Joe Comartin emphasized the need for: 
* a new palliative care secretariet, 
* the need to improve chronic care for people who live with pain and 
* he emphasized the need for greater flexibility in the provision of compassionate care benefits,
* the importance of building a greater infrastructure of local palliative care services to enable people to receive care and support in their own communities.

Harold Albrecht

Harold Albrecht spoke about the suicide prevention section within the report. He explained how suicide is almost always preventable but that the resources, information and support is simply not available in Canada. Canada does not have a national suicide prevention strategy, even though the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention has developed a national strategy for suicide prevention, the resources to implement the strategy have not been provided.

Harold Albrecht emphasized that * a coordinating body would be required to implement a National Suicide Prevention Strategy.


Frank Valeriote spoke on the recommendations related to elder abuse. He spoke about the fact that 4 - 10% of elders experience abuse and some recent studies are suggesting that the rate of elder abuse may be as high as 20%. Most elder abuse is carried out by care-givers, family members and friends. The reason elder abuse remains under-reported is the fact that the person is often dependent on the abuser.

Frank Valeriote

Frank Valeriote emphasized the need for * an elder abuse awareness and prevention office, * an elder abuse prevention strategy that would focus on prevention and intervention.

Rene Ouimet from the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) spoke next about the progress that is being made towards implementing a  suicide prevention blueprint. She stated that CASP supports the recommendations in the report.

Dan Demers from the Canadian Cancer Society stated that they supported the recommendations within the report. He spoke about how some patients are still suffering needlessly. He emphasized that people, at the end of life, are vulnerable and must not be abandoned. He decried the fact that less than 30% of Canadians have access to excellent palliative care.

Jean Guy St. Gelais from the Canadian Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse spoke next. He supported the need for an elder abuse prevention strategy and thanked the committee for the report.

Dr John Haggie

The final speaker was Dr John Haggie who is the current President of the Canadian Medical Association. He stated that the improvement in palliative care required urgent attention. He spoke in favour of the emphasis on patient centred care that the report promotes. He suggested that fixing palliative care can be used as a model for transforming health care in Canada.

The media then asked a series of questions.

The first question concerned the fact that many of the areas that the report was concerned with were within provincial jurisdiction. Joe Comartin answered the question by emphasizing the importance of the report being implemented by all levels of government. He then emphasized how some of the recommendations would lead to significant cost savings. He stated that too many people were dying in acute care hospital settings. If there were palliative care placements available, the cost would be significantly less. He also stated that excellent pain management will provide significant savings for the economy. Frank Valeriote then emphasized the need to share information especially to serve the needs of minority communities.

The second question concerned the decriminalization of euthanasia and assisted suicide. Dr Haggie, the President of the CMA stepped forward and stated that euthanasia is a complex issue but access to good palliative care would change the euthanasia debate. Dr Haggie then stated:

"requests for euthanasia usually reflect a failure to access adequate palliative care." 

Dr. Haggie then stated that Canada needs a national palliative care strategy. We need to transform the medical system with best practises and we need innovation funds to improve care.

The next question concerned the national suicide prevention stragegy. Harold Albrecht spoke about the fact that CASP has developed a blueprint strategy and he stated that government leadership is needed. He then mentioned his private suicide prevention members bill that is before parliament.

It was then stated that the blueprint strategy that was developed by CASP has been implemented in other countries resulting in the lowering of suicide rates in their countries.

Harold Albrecht then mentioned how progress is already occurring. The #10 recommendation in the palliative care section of the report has already been inserted in the current government budget.


EPC would like to thank the 55 MP's who supported the Palliative and Compassionate Care committee. We would like to thank Michele Simson, who was the Liberal co-chair of the committee but was defeated in the last election. We would like to thank George for writing the report.

Defence wants suicide predator to go free in Kajouji case

Nadia Kajouji

Lee Greenberg published an article in the Ottawa Citizen today explaining that the lawyers for William Melchert-Dinkel are trying to have the charges dropped against their client who was charged with assisting the suicide of Nadia Kajouji, an 18 year old first year Carlton student who died by suicide in March 2008

Terry Watkins, the lawyer for Melchert-Dinkel, the former nurse, who admitted to counseling via the internet several people to commit suicide. Yesterday's hearing was postponed as Watkins plans to challenge some of the evidence that was gathered against Melchert-Dinkel. Watkins also indicated his intention to petition to have the charges dropped.

The article described the case this way:

William Melchert-Dinkel

In April, Melchert-Dinkel was charged with assisted suicide for his involvement in the deaths of Nadia Kajouji, an 18-year-old Brampton girl who killed herself in March 2008, and Briton Mark Dryborough, who hanged himself in 2005 when he was 32.

Melchert-Dinkel, a former nurse with a disturbing disciplinary history, has admitted to trolling online suicide chat rooms in search of severely depressed people to talk into suicide.

In conversations with police, he likened the activity to hunting, admitting he was motivated by "the thrill of the chase."

He told police his interest in death and suicide had become "an obsession," something he'd had to confront when certain of his morbid online chats had been discovered by his teenage daughters. He admitted to forming false suicide pacts with at least 10 depressed people contemplating suicide.

According to his statements to police contained in a criminal complaint, Melchert-Dinkel offered his victims psychological encouragement, "telling them it was OK to let go, that they would be better in heaven."

He is charged with two counts of assisted suicide. Each charge of the Minnesota statute, which targets anyone who "intentionally advises, encourages, or assists" in suicide, comes with a punishment of up to 15 years imprisonment and as much as a $30,000 fine.

The article also quoted Michelle Goodwin, a law professor at the University of Minnesota who stated:

"These cases when it comes to a jury and what a jury is going to buy, it's a much easier conviction when you have physical evidence rather than virtual evidence,"

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition advocates an amendment to the criminal code of Canada in a similar manner to Australia. The Australian government made a minor revision to the criminal code to ensure that the assisted suicide statute included cases that were counseled via the internet or other communications devices.

Harold Albrect, MP - (Kitchener-Conestoga) sponsored Motion 388 that passed unanimously through Canada's parliament. Motion 388 called on the Federal Government to ensure that the law protects people, such as Nadia Kajouji, from internet predators, whether the suicide predator was a Canadian or not.

In the meantime, Melchert-Dinkel is trolling the highways as a long-haul trucker. The judge is expected to rule on whether the trial will go forward on August 27.

Kajouji case goes to U.S. prosecutor

Harold Albrecht MP

Lee Greenberg wrote an excellent update on the case of Nadia Kajouji, the Carlton University student who died by suicide in March 2008 after being counselled via the internet by an internet suicide predator.

The case of Nadia Kajouji has captured the concerns of her family, friends, university students and even Harold Albrecht, a Member of Parliament, who steered a motion through the Canadian parliament asking the Canadian government to clarify why Kajouji was not charged under section 241 (assisted suicide act) of Canada's criminal code.

The article states that:

Minnesota police have handed prosecutors their case against William Melchert-Dinkel, a 47-year-old father and former nurse who tried to talk a Carleton student into hanging herself in front of a webcam while he watched.

Sgt. Paul Schnell, a spokesman for the St. Paul police department said that after nearly a year, the case has been submitted to their county prosecutor for a decision on charges.

Nadia Kajouji

The difficulty in prosecuting the Kajouji case is as Sgt. Schnell stated:

“It’s an unusual case,”

“There’s certainly been a range of issues. Part of this is forensic, part of this is assessing as many victims as possible, part of it is looking at jurisdictional issues and where this case is best charged.”

The article explains the Kajouji case as follows:

Police first identified Melchert-Dinkel last February as the man behind a series of disturbing online chats with Nadia Kajouji, an 18-year-old Carleton University student.

Police said the two met in an online suicide chat room, where Melchert-Dinkel was posing as a 20-something woman who, like Kajouji, was in the depths of depression.

They quickly formed a suicide pact, with Melchert-Dinkel playing the role of leader.

Through several chat sessions ­ transcripts of which were released by police and obtained by the Citizen ­ Melchert-Dinkel attempted to persuade Kajouji to hang herself while he watched.

Throughout the chat, he tried to ease her guilt and countered her ambivalence ­ all while offering hands-on advice.

He told her what type of store to go to to buy rope, and what length and diameter of rope would work best.

In the chat, he also counselled Kajouji to examine her apartment to find the best place from which to hang herself, adding that he could help with the camera placement at that time.

Kajouji did commit suicide in March 2008, when she jumped off a bridge into the Rideau River. Her body was not discovered for more than five weeks.

The Kajouji case has led to other questions:

Kajouji’s case first ignited a controversy over the role of university administrators and health officials, who knew about the young woman’s deteriorating mental health, but declined to tell her parents.

A second controversy still surrounds the decision by Ottawa police not to charge Melchert-Dinkel under Canada’s assisted suicide law, which is similar to Minnesota’s

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition urged the Ottawa police to charge Melchert-Dinkel. Canada has extradition laws with the United States that would have allowed us to bring him to trial in Canada.

The article explains that there are more victims of Melchert-Dinkel:

Meanwhile, it appears what Schnell called an “exhaustive search” by U.S. law enforcement has netted more possible victims than originally suspected.

Schnell said before releasing the latest development to the public, police had been in touch with victim families in Canada, the United States and Britain.

Melchert-Dinkel was reportedly also under investigation in the suicide of Mark Drybrough, 32, who hanged himself at his home in Coventry, England, in 2005.

Deborah Chevalier

Kajouji's mother has been consistently pushing for action on this case. The article stated:

Kajouji’s mother said Minnesota investigators called her Wednesday to let her know the case had been handed over to prosecutors.

“It’s definitely positive,” said Deborah Chevalier. “But this really hasn’t changed anything except I know it’s moving forward. I want to see the charges laid and have him have his day in court.”

It is now up to Paul Beaumaster to decide whether or not to prosecute:

It will now be up to Rice County attorney Paul Beaumaster to decide whether to proceed with charges under Minnesota’s assisted suicide statute, a rarely used piece of legislation that provides penalties of up to 15 years imprisonment or as much as $30,000 in fines for anyone who “intentionally advises, encourages, or assists another in taking the other’s own life.”

William Melchert-Dinkel

Melchert-Dinkel reacted to the charges:

Following his unusual public outing by police last February, when he was identified as the man behind the chats (but not charged), Melchert-Dinkel was stripped of his nursing license. He practiced as a Minnesota nurse for more than 15 years.

Lawyers at that hearing showed Melchert-Dinkel checked himself into hospital in January 2009, complaining of being “addicted” to suicide chat rooms.

“4 yrs suicide fetish offered medical advice for assisted suicide x2,” a hospital intake document states. “Posed as 28 yo female formed suicide pacts with some that he had no attention [sic] of following thru ­ wanted to be caretaker or nurturer ­ feels worthless, guilty.”

Hospital notes say he complained of “feeling guilty because of past and present advice to those on the Internet of how to end their lives.”

Over that time, he accumulated a disturbing disciplinary record for, among other things, beating, yelling and swearing at patients.

In one particularly haunting episode ­ one of literally dozens cited in his public disciplinary history ­ Melchert-Dinkel watched silently as a patient at a nursing home died.

“Licensee failed to document the residents condition or update physician as instructed,” the record states. “Resident MD’s condition continued to decline during the shift and Resident subsequently died en route to the hospital.”

Melchert-Dinkel has been diagnosed with adult learning disability, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and adjustment reaction with anxiety, according to his nursing file.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is concerned that the law does not adequately protect vulnerable depressed people, like Nadia Kajouji, from predators like William Melchert-Dinkel. We have been asking that parliament change the assisted suicide law to specifically focus on charging people like Melchert-Dinkel.

Link to the article: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Kajouji+case+goes+prosecutor/2613562/story.html

Internet Suicide Predator loses nursing license

An article published in the Pioneer Press in Minnesota updates the case of William Melchert-Dinkel who admits to being involved with at least 5 cases where he acted as a predator via the internet to convince someone to commit suicide.

Link to the article: http://www.twincities.com/topstories/ci_13555747?nclick_check=1

Melchert-Dinkel

The article explains that Melchert-Dinkel has lost his license as a practical nurse.

The article also states that he went to a hospital emergency room the day (January 7) he was questioned by police and he told medical professionals that he was addicted to suicide chat rooms.

As part of the revocation order, the nursing board stated that Melchert-Dinkel "aided suicide ... by encouraging and advising individuals to commit suicide." in violation of Minnesota law.

Nadia Kajouji

The article explains that an 18-year-old Canadian woman (Nadia Kajouji) took her life after communicating online with Melchert-dinkel. The article also connects him to the death of a 32-year-old person from the UK.

The article explains that the investigation into his crimes continues, even though no charges have been layed.

The nursing board documents also cited several other serious problems with Melchert-Dinkel over the past 15 years.

Celia Blay, who was featured in the CBC television program - Fifth Estate - on this issue stated that she counted a minimum of eight suicides that are connected to Melchert-Dinkel and she further stated that she would be surprised if it wasn't double figures.

In Canada Harold Albrecht MP (Kitchener - Connestoga) has introduced Motion 388 to clarify the criminal code concerning internet suicide predators. Motion 388 had its first hour of debate on September 30, 2009 and will receive its second hour of debate on November 5, 2009. We expect Motion 388 will receive a huge majority of the vote in parliament.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition asks the question: Why has William Melchert-Dinkel not been charged in Canada under Section 241 of the Criminal Code - assisted suicide? Under Canadian law Melchert-Dinkel should be extradited to Canada to face trial.

Kajouji featured on Fifth Estate TV program

The suicide death of Nadia Kajouji was featured on the Fifth Estate tonight. Link to the web: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2009/10/09/ottawa-kajouji-fifth-estate-diary-suicide.html

Kajouji died by suicide after being pressured by an internet suicide predator named William Melchert Dinkel from Minnesota.

No arrest has been made but Harold Albrecht MP introduced Motion 388 into the parliament of Canada to clarify whether Section 241 - assisted suicide law - applies to Internet Suicide Predators such as Melchert Dinkel.

Motion 388 receives its first hour of debate

Are Internet Suicide Predators protected by the language of the law?

Nadia Kajouji

Harold Albrecht MP introduced Motion 388 to encourage the government to clarify Section 241 of the Criminal Code in order to ensure that the law applies to Internet suicide predators.

In March 2008, Nadia Kajouji killed herself after being encouraged and counseled by William Melchert-Dinkel, a licensed practical nurse in Minnesota.

In response to a plea by Kajouji's mother, Albrecht introduced M388 to clarify the assisted suicide law and to address the crime of online suicide counseling, which has led to Nadia and other young people committing suicide after being urged by predators via the Internet.

In his speech at the House of Commons, Albrecht presented several key points.

Nadia's mother

His first point was concerning the role of Section 241 of the Criminal Code. He stated, "Our society has long recognized that vulnerable people require the protection of the law. That is the purpose behind Section 241 of the Criminal Code which makes it illegal to counsel someone to commit suicide."

He then spoke about the concerns related to depression and the vulnerable person. He stated, "Each of us in this chamber has gone through periods of discouragement and perhaps depression, or at least we have family members and friends who struggle with depression and mental health issues. For some people these downtimes might be a fleeting emotion that lasts only for a few hours or days. For others, it may drag on for weeks, months or even years. In these times of feeling overwhelmed, discouraged or depressed, many have had the thought of ending it all in order to avoid the ongoing pain."

Harold Albrecht

Albrecht then explained Nadia's story. "In March 2008 in Ottawa, Nadia, a Carleton University student, was going through a period of depression when an Internet predator encouraged her to take her life. … The online friend turned out to be a 46-year-old licensed practical male nurse from Minnesota who allegedly lurked as a predator in online chat rooms. He also admitted to Minnesota police that he coaxed at least five different people to commit suicide using the Internet."

Albrecht then quoted Nadia's mother who stated, "One thing that has now been brought to light is that this predator is not alone. There are many more just like him out there. And when things go wrong in our lives, or in the lives of the people we love, they'll be out there hunting, hunting for the opportune moment."

Albrecht quoted Nadia's mother further by stating, "Stories like this make it necessary to clarify our laws. In our Internet age, we need to make it clear that the use of technology where one might presume to hide behind the anonymity of the Internet is not a defense against prosecution for very serious criminal offenses."

Albrecht concluded his speech by saying, "My concern is for vulnerable Canadians. The changes called for in M388 are needed in order to provide greater protection to those who are at a very vulnerable point in their lives. Predators must be stopped before they repeat their crime. Their destructive deeds will not be tolerated and predators who choose to ignore the deterrent message need to know that they will face severe consequences."

Serge Menard

Serge Ménard (BQ) spoke next, stating that the Bloc supports M388. But he questioned the need for the motion, noting that Section 241 is written in a broad manner.

Albrecht responded by stating that Melchert-Dinkel has not been charged by Canadian authorities and that it is important to give a clear message as a deterrent to those who counsel suicide over the Internet.

Ménard then continued by stating that suicide is the second leading cause of death in Quebec. He then stated, "We believe that it is important to ensure that counselling or aiding and abetting suicide is an offence, no matter the means used - including telecommunications, the Internet or a computer system."

Alex's Note: This comment is especially interesting considering the fact that the Bloc Québecois supports Bill C-384 that would essentially eliminate the protections in Section 241 of the Criminal Code.

Rod Bruinooge

Rod Bruinooge (CPC) spoke in favour of M388 and asked if the motion would act as a push-back to groups attempting to normalize suicide.

Albrecht responded that M388 is only concerned with suicide predators who are taking advantage of vulnerable people, especially youth.

Alan Tonks (Lib) spoke in favour of M388 and expressed his concerns related to the rate of suicide and attempted suicide among youth in Canada.

Joe Comartin

Joe Comartin (NDP) was next to speak in favour of M388. Comartin was clear in his support by stating, "It is quite appropriate and very timely that this motion is before the House. I believe the government, the Department of Justice in particular, needs to be looking into this area and seeing if there are ways that we can tighten up either under the Criminal Code or in other areas to, as much as possible, prevent this type of predatory activity."

Chris Warkentin (CPC) spoke in favour of M388, but emphasized the importance of maintaining a broad interpretation of Section 241 of the Criminal Code.

Motion 388 is tentatively scheduled to receive its second hour of debate on November 5, 2009. To circulate a petition in support of Motion 388, contact Harold Albrechts office at: AlbreH@parl.gc.ca