The suffering patients needed peace
An
orderly at a Spanish nursing home admitted Tuesday to killing 11
residents, reports say. Joan Vila, 45, confessed that he poisoned them
with bleach, an overdose of insulin or drugs at the north-eastern town
of Olot, according to Spanish media. He admitted he killed three
residents “to end their suffering” when he was arrested in October. He
then told a judge on Tuesday that he had killed eight more, Spanish news
agency Efe reported. The admission came 10 days after a judge ordered
the eight bodies be exhumed as part of an investigation into suspicious
deaths at the La Caritat residence.

Doctors
first notified police after finding burns to the mouth and throat of an
85-year-old woman who died last month. Mr Vila confessed he had killed
her and two others by forcing them to drink bleach. In his latest
admission, Mr Vila told a judge he killed six more with a combination of
drugs and two with an overdose of insulin. El Periodico, a Spanish
newspaper, quoted Mr Vila’s lawyer, Carles Monguilod, as saying the
first killing occurred in August 2009, another that year and the
remaining 9 this year.

Mr Monguilod said his client acted out of “compassion…
because they were suffering and he wanted to give them some peace”. It
was said most of the patients were suffering terminal illnesses,
including Alzheimer’s, and were disoriented or had fevers.
~ BBC News,
Nov 30

Jared Yee
euthanasia
mercy killing
Spain

• Author
• Recent Posts

Michael Cook

Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.

Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)

• How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
• House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
• Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021