Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
(apnews.com)https://apnews.com/article/peru-euthanasia-psychologist-e5e8ccfd24cf9650b425dee7def99a2eA Peruvian psychologist who had an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and left her bedridden for several years died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Ana Estrada fought for years in Peruvian courts for the right to die with dignity, and became a celebrity in the conservative country where euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal.
In 2022, Estrada was granted an exception by the nation’s Supreme Court, which upheld a ruling by a lower court that gave Estrada the right to decide when to end her life, and said that those who helped her would not be punished. Estrada became the first person to obtain the right to die with medical assistance in Peru.
“Ana’s struggle for her right to die with dignity has helped to educate thousands of Peruvians about this right and the importance of defending it,” her lawyer, Josefina Miró Quesada, said in a statement. “Her struggle transcended our nation’s borders.”
Estrada, 47, had an incurable disease called polymyositis that wastes away muscles. She began to present the first symptoms as a teenager and started to use a wheelchair at the age of 20 because she had lost the strength to walk.
