PRESS RELEASE President – World Euthanasia Federation Detailed at Melbourne Airport
Professor Sean Davison has been detained this morning at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne.
Professor Davison has been invited to Australia to speak at the 20th Anniversary Conference of Exit International.
The Conference is being held at the State Library of Victoria.
In 2011 Professor Davison assisted his mother – a former doctor – to die.
He was later arrested, charged and convicted of her attempted murder.
He served five months home detention.
A New Zealander by birth, Professor Davison is Professor of Biotechnology at the Unviersity of the Western Cape in Cape Town South Africa.
Conference convenor Dr Fiona Stewart has said from Melbourne:
“It is very disappointing that Australian authorities have seen fit to detain Professor Davison because of his criminal record.
“Sean is no criminal. In helping his mother to die he was being a kind, compassionate and loyal son to her.
“To have this mark hanging over his head is testimony to why Australian law on euthanasia must change. Discussing why he helped his mother to die is the whole purpose of him coming to Australia.
Professor Davison was scheduled to speak on a panel about Family Talk about End of Life Decisions on Thursday at 1.30pm.
The panel also includes Leukemia sufferer and former nurse Cath Ringwood, Belgian Jurist Professor Tony Van Loon, whose elderly mother received euthanasia in Belgium earlier this year. She was not terminally ill. Radio 2GB’s Rev Bill Crews will chair the session.
CONTACT: Dr Fiona Stewart or Dr Philip Nitschke on 0407 189 339/ [email protected]
DATE: 20 September 2016 END ------