Families of people with chronic illnesses may not be spared from prosecution by a bill to legalise assisted dying expected to be introduced into state parliament next year.
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The family of Spring Gully woman Dorothy Hookey, who were investigated by police for assisting her to take her own life in 2014, say they are “thrilled” with the planned legislation, but worry it may still leave others in their situation open to prosecution.
Mrs Hookey’s husband Graham, who was cleared of any wrongdoing in his wife’s death earlier this year, said while the proposed laws would provide great comfort to the families of people with terminal illnesses, he did not believe they would have applied to his own.
“Dorothy wasn’t terminally ill,” he said.
“She was in great pain and she knew the pain wasn't going to get any better [but] it might have been months, it could have been years if she could put up with the pain. It will help some people and I think that’s an advantage – it may not suit everybody, one size does not fit all but at least it’s a start.”
Mrs Hookey’s daughter Diana, who was also cleared of any wrongdoing along with the rest of the family, said while the new laws may not have saved them from the legal nightmare that followed her mother’s death, she too hoped they would would prove a step in the right direction.
“You don’t know whether just because of this law if it is passed that those people around the outside like ourselves might not be as interrogated as we were,” she said.
“We were in the interview room at the police station for four or five hours on the morning after mum passed away and it was full on. You don’t know what the law would do but once something starts it often radiates out over time.”
Regardless of how the changes might apply to their own situation, the Hookeys welcomed the government’s proposal, along with the proposed safeguard measures, in the hopes it would prevent at least some others from facing death alone.
“I think it’s fantastic that this has happened, the fact that it’s actually got to this point and they’re going to have a conscience vote on it is fantastic,” Diana said.
“Who wants to die on their own? It’s cruel, it’s heartbreaking, it’s devastating.”
Her message for politicians as they examine their consciences over the next 12 months was clear.
“Talk to people that have actually walked this journey with their family and listen to the anguish of that family because that I think is where people want to see change, because they don’t want to live through that again,” she said.
“We were privileged that mum was able to make that decision when she was ready to go, that that was what she wanted to do before it became really chronic, she was already in a lot of pain but she was able to have that choice and say ‘yeah I'm ready to go, it’s time’”.