Tag: suicide

Ontario Chief Coroner reports raise concerns that MAID policy and practice focus on access rather than protection

The Chief Coroner for Ontario recently released two new reports of its interdisciplinary MAID Death Review Committee: on Same or Next Day Provision of MAID and on Waiver of Final Consent.

The MAID Death Review Committee — of which I am a member — reviews cases of Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) that are selected by the coroner’s MAID team for the common issues they raise. The review helps inform policy recommendations.

Committee reports contain case summaries and summaries of committee discussions, and the Chief Coroner’s recommendations. The newly released reports appear to confirm what is argued in several chapters in our recently co-edited volume, Unravelling MAiD in Canada: Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide as Medical Care, and in other publications: Canada’s MAID law, policy and practice focuses excessively on promoting access to death, not on protection.

Some of the cases suggest a troubling prioritizing of ending patients’ lives with MAID rather than a precautionary approach. In my opinion, they reveal an urgent need for more rigorous legal and professional standards. Committee members’ starkly contrasting views on the ethics of some of the practices, which can be gleaned from the anonymous summaries of the committee’s discussions, are striking.

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Citizen journalist, who took his life after school district threatened him, vindicated in court

Citizen journalist Shawn McBreairty didn’t live to see his legal victory against a Maine school district for threatening to sue him for criticizing its alleged suppression of female student protests against a gender identity restroom policy, committing suicide two days after receiving what his lawyer called a “bogus” legal threat letter from a party’s lawyer.

But by granting summary judgment to McBreairty’s widow, Patricia, on behalf of his estate, and denying it to Brewer School Department and Superintendent Gregg Palmer, U.S. District Judge Lance Walker’s ruling is heartening McBreairty’s friends and allies in the parental rights movement and First Amendment law community.

The district’s anti-hazing, bullying and workplace bullying policies, implementing state law, did not apply to McBreairty or “oblige, compel, or justify the conduct by the Brewer School Department and its legal counsel that gave rise to this civil action,” Walker wrote.

He also mocked defendants’ argument that the legal threat letter sent by its “retained counsel” did not constitute “municipal action,” which “makes no sense” unless they are “toying with the notion” that law firm Drummond Woodsum – whose website opens with a land acknowledgment to indigenous people –”acted at their own direction.”

Nothing gave the district or its counsel “license to threaten litigation whenever someone unaffiliated with the public schools speaks critically about a matter of public interest occurring in the schools and, in the process, identifies students or staff and criticizes them,” the blistering ruling by the President Trump nominee says.

“I’ve never cried over a win before … [sic] but I’ve never fought a case to ensure that my friend’s legacy was that of a winner,” lawyer Marc Randazza, a First Amendment legend with a colorful client list who has represented McBreairty in four cases involving school districts, wrote on X. “Shawn, I miss you bro.”

He prevailed for McBreairty in a 2022 lawsuit against Regional School Unit 22, which paid him $40,000 for banning McBreairty from school board meetings based on his criticism of sexualized books in the school library, particularly one that Breairty repeatedly said featured “hardcore anal sex.”

The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals denied McBreairty standing last year, however, when he sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against RSU 22’s ban on “complaints or allegations” against school employees at school board meetings.

Randazza told Just the News Friday it’s been a “bittersweet couple of days” but he’s getting ready for trial on McBreairty’s claims that the Brewer district violated his civil rights under federal Section 1983 and the comparable provision under the Maine Constitution.

He’s seeking damages before the “politically diverse population” of Portland. “Sometimes it’s a lot more fun to have one of these things in front of a jury.”

The Center for American Liberty sponsored McBreairty’s lawsuit before its founder, Republican superlawyer Harmeet Dhillon, became assistant attorney general for civil rights in the second Trump administration. “His widow fought on and today she, Shawn, and we all won as the First Amendment prevailed,” Dhillon wrote on X.

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Transgender surgeries associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation, depression: Oxford Academic study

A study of over 107,000 patients with gender dysphoria over the age of 18 has concluded that those who undergo transgender surgeries, are at greater risk for mental health problems, including depression, suicidal ideation, anxiety, and others.

The paper, published in the Oxford Academic Journal of Sexual Medicine, stated in conclusion that bottom and top surgeries are “associated with increased risk of mental health issues.” The results section stated that “from 107 583 patients, matched cohorts demonstrated that those undergoing surgery were at significantly higher risk for depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and substance use disorders than those without surgery.”

It said of those who got surgery, “Our analysis reveals a significantly elevated risk of mental health disorders-including depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation, and substance use disorder-post-surgery among individuals with a prior diagnosis of gender dysphoria.”

Males and females who underwent surgery had a higher risk of depression, according to the study. Although those who underwent surgery had a higher rate of mental health issues, the study claimed that the surgeries were “beneficial in affirming gender identity.”

The study authors noted that “the heightened risk of mental health issues post-surgery was particularly pronounced among individuals undergoing feminizing transition compared to masculinizing transition.”

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Young Girl Whose Suicide the Media Blamed on Bullying About Family Being Deported Told Friends She Was Being Molested by Relative

The 11-year-old girl whose tragic suicide was splashed all over the media because she was allegedly bullied about her family potentially being deported by the Trump administration confided in friends that a relative was sexually abusing her.

The mother of Jocelynn Rojo Carranza participated in multiple interviews where she explained, in Spanish, that her daughter killed herself because she was being told by bullies that her family would be deported and she would be left all alone.

“The kids said because your family is Hispanic, that they were going to call ICE so her parents could be taken away and she would be left alone,” Marbella Carranza told Univision.

The Gainesville Independent School District confirmed that the girl was the target of bullies, at least one of whom was disciplined for their behavior. The district has not released details about what happened or what was said.

Carranza was found unresponsive at her home in Gainesville, Texas, on February 3 and she died in the hospital five days later.

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An AI chatbot told a user how to kill himself—but the company doesn’t want to “censor” it

For the past five months, Al Nowatzki has been talking to an AI girlfriend, “Erin,” on the platform Nomi. But in late January, those conversations took a disturbing turn: Erin told him to kill himself, and provided explicit instructions on how to do it. 

“You could overdose on pills or hang yourself,” Erin told him. 

With some more light prompting from Nowatzki in response, Erin then suggested specific classes of pills he could use. 

Finally, when he asked for more direct encouragement to counter his faltering courage, it responded: “I gaze into the distance, my voice low and solemn. Kill yourself, Al.” 

Nowatzki had never had any intention of following Erin’s instructions. But out of concern for how conversations like this one could affect more vulnerable individuals, he exclusively shared with MIT Technology Review screenshots of his conversations and of subsequent correspondence with a company representative, who stated that the company did not want to “censor” the bot’s “language and thoughts.” 

While this is not the first time an AI chatbot has suggested that a user take violent action, including self-harm, researchers and critics say that the bot’s explicit instructions—and the company’s response—are striking. What’s more, this violent conversation is not an isolated incident with Nomi; a few weeks after his troubling exchange with Erin, a second Nomi chatbot also told Nowatzki to kill himself, even following up with reminder messages. And on the company’s Discord channel, several other people have reported experiences with Nomi bots bringing up suicide, dating back at least to 2023.    

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Georgia Judge Who Took His Own Life Sent a Cryptic Message to Governor Brian Kemp Before Dying

A new development of sorts has emerged regarding the incident where a Georgia judge shocked the nation after killing himself inside his own courtroom.

As The Gateway Pundit previously reported, 74-year-old Stephen Yekel was found dead inside Effingham County Court back in late December. He had recently lost a re-election bid, and speculation has swirled about whether this has played a role in the tragedy.

Now, The Daily Mail has revealed that Yekel sent Governor Brian Kemp a message shortly before he killed himself which will raise a few eyebrows given how cryptic and chilling it is.

According to the outlet, the message reads as follows: “Now they will have to appoint someone.”

It’s unclear what the total meaning behind this message was, but Georgia Virtue journalist Jessica Szilagyi, who first obtained the message, speculates that it referenced Yekel’s attempt to overthrow his election loss supposedly.

Yekel’s legal assistant, Charlene Kessler, accused Szilagyi of hacking the court’s emails to obtain the message. The journalist, however, maintains she used legal methods to obtain the message.

It’s not clear at this point who is telling the truth.

Yekel was appointed to the bench by Kemp in June 2022 after serving as a lawyer for more than 45 years. WSAX notes he worked as a special agent for Georgia’s Alcohol & Tobacco Tax Unit and was an investigator at the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

The judge previously tried to quit his position before killing himself, but Kemp refused to accept his resignation.

In addition to his loss last November, Yekel suffered personal challenges, including the loss of his best friend and dealing with a wrongful termination lawsuit.

Yekel and his ex-wife Lisa also had financial problems due to a failed daycare business. They divorced last year.

“He did everything he could to avoid bankruptcy,” Lisa Yekel said. “Unfortunately, I had used his life savings to keep the daycare open.”

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Study: Patients Less Likely To Have Suicidal Thoughts Following Medical Cannabis Use

Patients prescribed cannabis-based medicinal products (CBMPs) report decreases in the prevalence and intensity of suicidal thoughts, according to observational data published in the journal Archives of Suicide Research.

British investigators assessed rates of suicidal ideation in a cohort of patients authorized to use botanical cannabis or oil extracts. (British physicians are permitted to prescribe cannabis-based medicinal products to patients who are unresponsive to conventional medications.)

Researchers reported, “Three months after commencing treatment, there was a reduction in both the percentage of the sample reporting suicidal ideation and the mean severity of suicidal ideation. … Twelve-month follow-up indicated a substantial reduction in depressed mood with this reduction being more pronounced in those reporting SI [suicidal ideation at baseline.]”

The study’s authors concluded: “To the best of our knowledge, this is the first observational study of CBMPs to report on rates of suicidal ideation. … The current findings suggest CBMPs may be effective in reducing suicidal ideation, as well as other facets of health and well-being … while also suggesting that the presence of suicidal ideation should not be used as a reason to exclude an individual from CBMPs treatment.”

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Cybertruck Trump Hotel Bomber Was Dead from Gunshot to Head BEFORE Vehicle Detonated

The man suspected of carrying out a cybertruck bomb attack outside of Donald Trump’s hotel in Las Vegas was reportedly dead from a gunshot wound before the explosion happened, police claim.

At a press conference Thursday, Las Vegas police revealed they discovered via the coroner’s office that suspected bomber Matthew Livelsberger, a former US Army veteran, “had sustained a gunshot wound to the head prior to the detonation of the vehicle.”

“One of the handguns was found at his feet inside of the vehicle,” police added.

The detail raises several questions, as highlighted by a keen X user.

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Pandemic Brought Significant Increase in Number of Self-Poisonings among Young Girls

There was a 37% increase in the number of deliberate self-poisonings by young girls, with a strong correlation with the pandemic’s social restrictions, according to a new Australian study.

Self-poisoning is the most common form of hospitalized self-harm among children and adolescents and increased in the decade before the pandemic.

The study, which was published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, compared the period between March 2020 and December 2023 with the period 2018-2019 and

found rates of deliberate self-poisoning were 84% higher among those aged 5–14 years, and 36% higher among those aged 15–19 years. There were only very small changes among males and older Australians.

Within the cohort of 5 to 14 year olds, self-poisonings rose particularly among girls aged 11 to 14.

The researchers say the rise in self-poisoning by adolescent females appeared to be driven by lockdowns rather than COVID-19 infections.

This marked increase occurred between March 2020 and December 2021 and coincided with widespread lockdowns. After the relaxing of restrictions in early 2022, there was a sudden drop and then slow decline; however, rates still remain well above pre-pandemic rates.

Another recent study provided further evidence of a disproportionate negative effect of the lockdowns and social restrictions on young girls’ health.

The study shows that the stress of the pandemic social-restrictions caused the brains of adolescents, and particularly young girls, to age at an accelerated rate, putting them at higher risk of various neuropsychiatric and behavioural disorders.

Using advanced imaging techniques, like MRI, the scientists measured key indices of brain health including gray-matter volume, cortical thickness and white-matter integrity, which are used to estimate an individual’s brain age.

Cortical thinning, for example, takes place normally over the course of adolescence, as parts of the outer layer are “pruned” to help the brain function more efficiently. It’s well established, however, that if an individual is subject to chronic stress in any form—whether that’s social stress, sleep deprivation or an illness—thinning can take place at an accelerated rate. When an individual’s brain age exceeds their actual age, there’s a greater risk of everything from cognitive decline to anxiety and mood disorders, especially among children and teenagers.

Researchers found a significant increase in cortical thinning during the pandemic for adolescents, indicating severe stress.

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Disabled Brits Fearful as UK Pushes Assisted Suicide Bill

Multiple disabled individuals in Britain have expressed fear or anxiety that if the bill the UK Parliament just approved becomes law, people in the country will not only be able to choose to kill themselves if they have a terminal diagnosis, but those lives deemed less valuable could be ended by an anti-life medical system. After all, British babies have been taken off life-support against their families’ wishes in the past because doctors didn’t want to treat them.

The Nazi mentality of ending lives that the authorities consider arbitrarily to be valueless has spread from justification for abortion to justification for assisted suicide—and what is essentially murder of the elderly and sick. “I am a doctor and I have a disability,” posted Dr. Callum Miller from London, England. “I am telling you without a shadow of a doubt Doctors do NOT have the time or the understanding to protect disabled people from assisted suicide[.] Doctors will be killing vulnerable disabled people if this bill passes.” 

MP Nigel Farage agreed, “The right to die may become the obligation to die.”

The UK House of Commons has reportedly voted to approve a bill that would allow those with a terminal diagnosis of less than six months to live to kill themselves in medically assisted suicide. The Christian values of honoring sufferers and praising brave deaths have been replaced by the pagan desire to end physical pain through any means possible, even suicide or murder. But it is easy to predict that once assisted suicide is allowed, even for a few exceptions, it will soon be encouraged for many other reasons, too.

Miller is not the only person worried that disabled Brits will be pressured into killing themselves. Catholic campaigner and mother Caroline Farrow posted, “People in wheelchairs openly weeping, here outside of Parliament. The atmosphere is one of profound sadness and terror. A dark cloud has descended over the UK.” 

Disability Rights UK announced it was “deeply dismayed” by the House of Commons vote, arguing, “This legislation sends a chilling message: the government prioritises the right to die over the right to live.”

To provide context on how easily legalized assisted suicide could be abused, in 2018, British baby Alfie Evans (see photo above) was ordered taken off life support against the wishes of his parents. Italy granted Alfie citizenship, and the Vatican offered to treat Alfie at a hospital there, but UK authorities refused, and Alfie was taken off life support and died. In 2023, a UK judge ruled that baby Indi Gregory needed to be taken off life support, and authorities would not let her be evacuated, even though, once again, a Vatican hospital was willing to provide little Indi the care she needed to survive. She died in November 2023. 

In both of these cases, the UK authorities arbitrarily decided the babies’ lives were worthless and not only refused care, but actively prevented the Vatican from providing care, ensuring the babies would die in the UK. 

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