ROME – The Italian constitutional court has ruled that assisting suicide cannot be punished if it is done under certain conditions, report judicial sources.

 Under certain conditions, ran the verdict, the person who “facilitates the execution of the intention of suicide, autonomously and freely formed, of a patient kept alive by life support and suffering from an irreversible illness, a source of physical and psychological suffering that they consider intolerable, but fully capable of making free and conscious decisions” has not committed a crime under Article 580 of the Criminal Code, reports Il Fatto Quotidiano.

 The court has now called on Parliament to legislate on the issue.

 The ruling has come about as a result of the “Dj Fabo” case, in which Fabiano Antoniani asked for assisted suicide and was taken to Switzerland by Marco Cappato, who has since been accused of instigation to suicide.

 “From today in Italy we are all freer,” commented Cappato, quoted in Il Messaggero.  Meanwhile, the Italian episcopal conference has expressed its concern over the ruling.

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