Let him die

The Moors murderer Ian Brady was in court last week to request permission to be allowed to starve himself to death. The Court is currently mulling over his request, but in truth there is only one issue: is he mad or not? 

The freedom to end one's life is, in its way, a fundamental human right. The only circumstances under which someone may be prevented by force from harming themselves is if they have been deemed a danger to themselves or others by reason of mental illness. Some 12 or so years ago Brady was diagnosed as having paranoid schizophrenia, and thereafter his attempts to starve himself have been thwarted by passing a naso-gastric tube and being tube-fed against his will. Last week Brady argued that the diagnosis is not safe and never has been; that it was made as a result of political machination. And even the authorities admit he has shown no signs of psychosis since then. Indeed, some say Brady simulated those symptoms at the time for reasons best known to himself. There is no doubt that in order to commit such terrible acts he must have a severe personality disorder, one in which there is no caring and compassion for the plight of other human beings, but that doesn't make him mad- just very, very bad.

Whatever the truth of that, the authorities (among which we must include the Home Secretary) must now decide whether such a diagnosis still applies. If not, he will be sent from the secure mental unit where he now resides to an ordinary prison, where, if he is as good as his word, he will deprive himself of food until he dies.

Ian Brady is a strong candidate for "most evil man in Britain", an accolade he justly earned in the mid 1960s following a series of horrific child murders. And although he has had some opposition in more recent times by, say, Ian Huntley, I think most people would agree he is still out on his own in terms of the hatred he has aroused in the hearts and minds of ordinary British people. His partner in crime, Myra Hindley, certainly stood alone during her lifetime as the worst woman who ever lived, partly because she abnegated all her "natural, maternal feelings" in order to perpetrate her terrible crimes. Now she is dead, but Brady is still here. I have heard it said that he should never be allowed to end his own life, because of the enormity of his offences, but I cannot agree. Regardless of how awful a criminal's history may be, the option to end one's life must be part of the human rights package every human is entitled to- even if they are incarcerated indefinitely. To deny such a right to anyone is itself a crime against humanity. Brady has chosen to end his life in one of the most unpleasant ways imaginable- if he wishes to do that, and no evidence can be produced to prove he is not responsible for his actions, then so be it.