A Montreal couple is calling for disciplinary measures against a psychologist they say counselled one of them to kill the terminally ill other.
When Miranda Edwards was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer she said she was determined to fight it.
“I want to live, I want every medical intervention possible,” she said. “I will fight to the end. I will do every treatment, everything possible to stay alive.”
Her husband, Serge Simard, struggled as his wife’s health declined and eventually sought the services of a psychologist to help manage the stress.
Simard alleges the psychologist told him to overdose his wife with morphine she had been prescribed for her pain. He secretly recorded the session on his phone and on the recording the psychologist can be heard saying “at one point it will be a dose too much and she just won’t wake up. It’s the best thing that could happen, really. She won’t be suffering anymore she’ll be in a better place.”
The psychologist cannot be identified as they haven’t been charged with a crime.
Simard said he was horrified by the advice.
“That’s not assisted suicide, that’s murder,” he said. “I will not murder my wife. If Miranda voices anything I will respect her wishes. Miranda has never voiced that she wanted to pass away.”
Family physician Paul Saba said he feared incidents like this could occur as a result of the legalization of medically assisted suicide.
“Good quality palliative care never hastens death. If anything it prolongs life,” he said. “The government has been promoting euthanasia and assisted suicide. If there’s anything criminal that’s being done it’s what the government has been promoting by legalizing it.”
Simard filed a complaint about the psychologist to their professional order but received a response saying they had retired and the matter won’t be pursued further though they may reopen the investigation should she resume practicing.
The couple said they were disappointed that both Montreal and Gatineau police refused to pursue the case and didn’t rule out a civil court case.
