Janice Hunter rests in a cemetery overlooking the sea, in a village on the island of Cyprus. She is finally at peace, but her last years have been hell: terminally ill with leukemia, lived in pain without respite. She wanted to die, and she asked David, her husband and life partner of 57 years, to help her free herself from her evil.
Overcoming her resistance, moved to pity by so much suffering, in the end – when he understood that she would never change her mind – he obeyed her: he covered her mouth and nose and she died of asphyxiation. The same night, David tried to kill himself, with a mix of drugs and alcohol: he wanted to reach what was “not only my wife but also my best friend”. The of him was an extreme gesture of loveand “never, not even in a million years” would he kill Janice unless she begged him to.
18 months after the start of the trial, the District Court of Cyprus, after having heard his poignant confession, has acquitted of premeditated murder (which carries a life sentence), recognizing that of manslaughter. “We are satisfied with today’s verdict and will try to convince the court to grant David a suspended sentence,” explained attorney Michael Polak, who defends the man. “Hunter is really happy, but also speechless. He told me that he hadn’t slept in three or four days and was so tired that he couldn’t speak or even smile. This is a tragic case. Janice Hunter and David have been in a loving relationship for more than 50 years and it’s clear that David did what he did just out of love for his wifeat your request”.
David Hunter, 75, former coal miner, he had moved with his wife from England to Cyprus about twenty years ago. They had met as teenagers. They had bought a flat in Paphos, but when Janice fell ill they had to sell it to pay for medical treatment.
The sentence is likely to open a assisted suicide debate, banned in Cyprus and considered a taboo. Lawmakers in the country, where the Greek Orthodox church holds considerable influence, are expected to begin debating legislation that would allow assisted dying, but fierce opposition is expected.
Source: Vanity Fair
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