British neurosurgeon laughs at past remarks about 'grannies... bullied into' suicide

British neurosurgeon Dr. Henry Marsh is under fire for shocking remarks he made about "sacrificing grannies" to push for the legalization of assisted suicide in the United Kingdom.

Key Takeaways:

During a parliamentary hearing, Dr. Henry Marsh laughed off previous comments in which he discussed "sacrificing grannies" so that "people could die with dignity."
He appeared to regret that the comments had been made public, but did not apologize for them.
He also called assisted dying a form of "treatment" for suffering, and suggested legalizing euthanasia before determining if people with disabilities are being "disproportionately hurt."

The Details:

During a recent Parliamentary committee hearing, Marsh was asked about his previous comments, in which he advocated for 'assisted dying.' Made in 2017, his remarks also insulted Christians, whom he blamed for fighting previous legislation to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide. According to the Daily Mail, he told The Times:

The contributions from the anti-euthanasia people the last time it was debated in parliament were abysmal.
One bloody woman MP claimed the drugs were very unpleasant. That's a complete lie. So much of it is all bloody Christians.
They argue that grannies will be made to commit suicide. Even if a few grannies get bullied into it, isn't that a price worth paying for all the people who could die with dignity?

Instead of apologizing for the crass remarks — especially those regarding coercing 'grannies' — Marsh simply said he "wished he hadn't said it."

Get the biggest pro life stories directly in your inbox. Breaking news, investigations, and stories you won't want to miss.

"It was very stupid of me and I didn't realize it was going to get into the public domain," he remarked.

However, he then chuckled as he doubled down on his insistence that some coercion is fine, as long as people are allowed to intentionally kill themselves with the blessing and assistance of the government:

"The principle is there is always a cost. Every time I operated, and it was not a theoretical risk, you can make things worse but you justify that risk by saying more people benefit. It sounds rather inhumane and utilitarian, but that is the reality of normal medical practice," he said.

During the hearing, Marsh also called assisted dying "a form of treatment for suffering," insisting that data could be collected after euthanasia's legalization to determine if "disabled people were being disproportionately hurt."

What We're Hearing:

Catherine Robinson, spokesperson for Right to Life UK, blasted Marsh's "deeply inappropriate comment," noting that he did not retract his original statement.

"Instead, he laughed, merely expressing regret that his comment made it into the public domain," she said. "This utilitarian thinking, where the protection that is owed to elderly people and sick and dying people is sacrificed for some alleged greater good, is typical of the extreme views many supporters of assisted suicide hold."

J.K. Rowling: 'I used to believe in assisted dying. I no longer do.'

Barrister Barbara Rich also took issue with the comments, saying, "So it is fine for influential people to privately advocate for a change in the law under which vulnerable people will foreseeably come to harm, and their only regret is that their thoughts are made public?"

The Bottom Line:

Marsh's comments solidly confirm what so many disability rights groups and anti-euthanasia advocates are warning about: coercion, especially among vulnerable populations, is a real threat should the nation legalize euthanasia. All human lives are valuable and deserve protection.

Live Action News is pro-life news and commentary from a pro-life perspective.

Our work is possible because of our donors. Please consider giving to further our work of changing hearts and minds on issues of life and human dignity.

Contact editor@liveaction.org for questions, corrections, or if you are seeking permission to reprint any Live Action News content.

Guest Articles: To submit a guest article to Live Action News, email editor@liveaction.org with an attached Word document of 800-1000 words. Please also attach any photos relevant to your submission if applicable. If your submission is accepted for publication, you will be notified within three weeks. Guest articles are not compensated (see our Open License Agreement). Thank you for your interest in Live Action News!