Eight people take their own lives after being denied voluntary assisted dying

Warning: This article contains discussions on suicide which some readers may find distressing. 

Eight people with declining health who were denied access to voluntary assisted dying have taken their own lives after the laws came into effect in Victoria, a coroner said. 

Coroner Simon McGregor reviewed cases in which people had died by suicide after failing to meet the strict eligibility requirements for voluntary assisted dying, and has asked the state's Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board to take the suicides into consideration.

He did this while investigating the death of Melbourne man Geoffrey McConachy, who suffered from a stroke in late 2022 while on a trip to visit his son overseas, and as a result had lost his life enjoyment after his speech was profoundly impacted. 

McConachy took his own life year later in September 2023, aged 83, after he was deemed not eligible for voluntary assisted dying because he did not have a terminal prognosis.

The coroner found that McConachy had a “greatly reduced quality of life” after he developed a depression and lost interest in life. 

"Rest in love": All Blacks legend and Dancing with the Stars winner dies at 55

Under Victorian law, voluntary assisted dying is accessible to those who are suffering from an incurable disease, are experiencing intolerable suffering and are expected to die within six months (or 12 months in the case of neurodegenerative conditions).

Coroner McGregor said there had been eight deaths by suicide since the laws came into effect in 2017, and found that their decline in health was irreversible, but their access to voluntary assisted dying were denied “because they did not meet the strict criterion”. 

“A recurring theme throughout many of these deaths was the impact that voluntary assisted dying refusal had on the deceased,” McGregor said in his findings.

“Family members often reported that when people believed they would have access to voluntary assisted dying they maintained hope that they would be able to exercise control over how they died; when their access to voluntary assisted dying was refused, their consequent despair and frustration contributed to their decision to take their own life." 

Rising star footy player dies at just 18

“I would ask the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board to remain open to considering this finding as part of a developing body of evidence about where there may be opportunities to improve the operation of voluntary assisted dying in the state.”

Image: Shutterstock

Need to talk to someone? Don't go it alone.

Lifeline: 13 11 14, lifeline.org.au 

SANE Support line and Forums: 1800 187 263, saneforums.org

Headspace: 1800 650 890, headspace.org.au

Beyond Blue: 1300 224 635, beyondblue.org.au