Dignity in Dying statement on the David Hunter case in Cyprus

David Hunter has today (Friday 21st July 2023) been found not guilty of pre-meditated murder and found guilty of manslaughter after the death of his wife Janice Hunter. Janice, who was terminally ill with blood cancer, died at the couple’s home in Cyprus in December 2021. Mr Hunter, from Northumberland, will be sentenced at Paphos District Court on Thursday 27th July 2023.

Please find a statement from Dignity in Dying, the UK’s leading campaign for assisted dying, which calls for a change in the law to allow this option for terminally ill, mentally competent adults, below. Please note that interviews with David Hunter’s family are not available at this time.

A spokesperson for Dignity in Dying said: “Our thoughts are with Janice’s family. We hope the Cypriot court will proceed with sentencing as soon as possible, so that they can at last fully grieve her death and process the events of the last few years.

“A dignified death should be a right for all terminally ill, mentally competent adults through expert, compassionate healthcare, with the safe, legal choice of an assisted death available to those who are suffering unbearably. Without this option, impossible choices are made behind closed doors and there will undoubtedly be more tragic cases of dying people resorting to taking matters into their own hands, with and without the assistance of loved ones. Robust, safeguarded legislation to allow this choice in tightly controlled circumstances would bring far greater scrutiny, transparency and protection for terminally ill people than under current laws.

“More and more countries in Europe and around the world are concluding that legislating on assisted dying is far safer than banning it; for dying people, for their loved ones and for the whole of society. With proposals being considered in Scotland, Jersey and the Isle of Man and an inquiry underway in Westminster, it is increasingly clear that the damage caused by the blanket ban  can be ignored no longer, and that doing nothing is simply not an option.”

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For further information and interview requests with case studies and Dignity in Dying spokespeople, please contact Molly Pike, Media and Campaigns Officer at Dignity in Dying, on 07929 731181 or email: molly.pike@dignityindying.org.uk.