104 year-old Australian scientist, David Goodall opts for ‘assisted suicide’ to end his life
David Goodall , Australia’s oldest scientist, who caused a stir when his university tried to vacate his office aged 102, will fly to Switzerland in early May to end his life. Goodall, who is now 104, does not have a terminal illness but his quality of life has deteriorated and he has secured a fast-track appointment with an assisted dying agency in Basel, euthanasia advocates said. “I greatly regret having reached that age. I’m not happy. I want to die. It’s not sad particularly. What is sad is if one is prevented. My feeling is that an old person like myself should have full citizenship rights including the right of assisted suicide,” the ecologist told broadcaster ABC on his birthday earlier this month. Assisted suicide is illegal in most countries around the world and was banned in Australia until the state of Victoria became the first to legalise the practice last year. But that legislation, which takes effect from June 2019, only applies to terminal...