Public justification of suicide—meaning the public distribution of material, including online, that recognizes an act of suicide as being just or worth following—could be punished by up to four years in prison, under a MoJ amendment to the Criminal Code that has been submitted for public consultation, IPN reports.
The amendment also provides tougher sentences for instigation to suicide. In particular, the act of instigating to, or purposely facilitating a suicide, whether attempted or completed, including online, will be punished by two to five years in prison, compared to up to four years at present.
Further, the act of instigating a minor to commit suicide, when that minor is materially or otherwise dependent on the perpetrator, will be punished by five to nine years in prison, compared to the current punishment of two to six years. The same punishment—five to nine years—will apply in cases where the victim has limited mental capacity.
Additionally, the “instigation to suicide” article is supplemented with the aggravating circumstances of the victims being under 14 years of age and being a group of two ore more people, in which cases the sentence will range from 9 to 12 years’ imprisonment.
To enter into effect, the amendment requires Government approval and passage by Parliament.
