Mother defends son's decision to commit suicide
Daniel James's mother has defended his right to die
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Saturday, 18, Oct 2008 03:28
The mother of a paralysed rugby player who died in an assisted suicide clinic in Switzerland has defended his right to die.
Daniel James, 23, from Worcester, reportedly died on September 12th after visiting the clinic and it emerged yesterday that police were investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.
Daniel was said to have been a talented rugby player before a training ground accident left him paralysed from the chest down.
His mother Julie and his father Mark are said to be under investigation regarding his death.
Ms James emailed the Telegraph newspaper on October 4th calling for people not to judge her son's decision and explained he had felt there was no other available to him.
"We returned from Switzerland on September 12th after accompanying our... son who had been left tetraplegic after a rugby accident," she said in her email.
"Dan found his life so unbearable and had tried to commit suicide three times, other than to starve himself to travel to Switzerland was his only option.
"Our son could not have been more loved and had he felt he could live his life this way he would have been loved just the same but this was his right as a human being, nobody but nobody should judge him or anyone else."
West Mercia police confirmed earlier this week that a man and a woman had been spoken to in connection with the case.
"A police investigation is ongoing and officers have spoken with a man and a woman in connection with the case," said Detective Inspector Adrian Todd.
An inquest into the death of Mr James, 23, has been adjourned for reports by the Worcester coroner.
A note on the coroner's website said Mr James "travelled to Switzerland with a view to ending his own life".
Mr James was a regular at back row for England students and had represented is country at under-16 level.
But a dislocated vertebra during scrum practice for Nuneaton Rugby Club two seasons ago saw hopes of a professional career scuppered.