Rosemary Vaux -
tel: 020 8943 5343 mobile: 07792 72 62 41
email: rvaux@ravenstonepr.co.uk
US Issues Charges in International Aiding Suicide Case
28 April 2010
The St Paul Police Department, US has announced that William Melchert-Dinkel of Faribault, Minnesota was charged on 23rd April 2010 with two counts of aiding suicide for his role in advising and encouraging Mark Drybrough of Coventry UK and Nadia Kajouji of Ottawa, Canada to commit suicide. The charges are based on William Melchert-Dinkel’s use of internet correspondence to encourage the victims to take their own lives. At the time of Melchert-Dinkel’s involvement in the offences he was working a a nurse.
PAPYRUS believes that case demonstrates a number of the dangers of the internet if used by the ill-intentioned to promote and encourage suicide, rather than to offer help and support to those who need it: the opportunity to prey on vulnerable people; the anonymity and scope for deception it offers to the perpetrators; and the ability to cross national borders.
PAPYRUS has campaigned since 2003 for stronger action to be taken to curb the deliberate use of the internet to promote suicide, especially amongst the vulnerable young. We pay tribute to Mrs Dryborough and her two supporters for their persistence in seeking to bring one person to justice and to the US authorities for being prepared to take action. We will monitor the outcome of the case with great interest and hope it may lead to a more proactive approach by the UK authorities.
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