British Archbishop to Crux Now: Victims of domestic abuse could be coerced into assisted suicide

A senior British archbishop is raising the alarm over the threat an assisted suicide bill currently under consideration in the UK parliament poses to the vulnerable, including victims of domestic abuse.

In an exclusive interview with Crux Now, Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, Lead Bishop for Life Issues at the bishops’ conference of England and Wales, said the assisted suicide bill set to for a vote in September could lead to victims of domestic violence being coerced into killing themselves.raised the alarm

“[T]he bill doesn’t contain sufficient safeguards against coercion or protecting vulnerable people and it’s noticeable that many disabled people, and those who support people with disabilities are opposed to this bill, saying they’re not properly protected,” Sherrington said.

“Also,” Sherrington said, “the possible victims of domestic abuse may, again, feel pushed by this bill to opt out of situations.”

“My primary concern is about coercion and the possibility that someone who’s very ill in an abusive situation could be coerced into making this choice,” he added.

Sherrington was speaking just weeks before the second reading of the Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) on September 11 in the House of Commons Lauren Edwards, a Member of Parliament for