‘Je ne suis pas un assassin’ by Frédéric Chaussoy

In this short text, Dr Frédéric Chaussoy recounts his version of the events that led up to and followed the 2003 death of Vincent Humbert, a well-known patient in the context of assisted dying debates in France (see Je vous demande le droit de mourir). Chapter by chapter, Chaussoy discusses his first meetings with Vincent and the various members of his family; explains the decision-making process that led to Vincent’s eventual extubation and death; and describes in detail the impact of the whole affair on his own life and those of his family. In this sense, the text calls us to recognise the humanity of the physicians who care for us and to acknowledge the pressure under which they work – particularly in intensive care. Likewise, having been acquitted of any wrongdoing by the French legal system, the text seeks to clear Chaussoy’s name in the court of public opinion (as the title of the text suggests), by offering a reasoned justification of his actions and presenting the full complexity of the medico-ethico-legal situation in which he found himself. 

The text is structured into 20 chapters, each of which discusses a key person, place or concept related to the events prior to and following Vincent Humbert's death. Chaussoy speaks frankly, sharing his personal perspective on these events, and the first-person narration brings the reader directly into the midst of the complex situation he recounts. The addition of his wife’s voice in a later chapter offers a valuable, alternative perspective on the impact of these events on Chaussoy as a husband and father, and on his wider family circle, thereby humanising the man behind the headlines. The text is punctuated by short sentences and rhetorical questions that are set apart from the larger paragraphs. These often serve either to drive home a particular point or invite the reader to further reflection. In so doing, they constitute important fragments of evidence that Chaussoy will use to make his case.  

With a preface by Bernard Kouchner, former physician turned politician, health secretary who introduced formalised palliative care services in France, and supporter of the legalisation of assisted dying, Je ne suis pas un assassin is clearly a politically engaged text. It calls for change in the existing legal framework, while drawing attention to the unspoken – and seemingly frequent – cases of physician-assisted dying that occur in hospitals across France. Indeed, Chaussoy suggests that the only reason he became legally implicated in the Humbert case was the fact that he dared to speak openly about his role in assisting Vincent’s death. Offering vital insights from the much-neglected perspective of a physician, the text calls its readers – and wider French society – to further develop and improve existing end-of-life care provision and to better support the patients for whom an assisted death is their desired form of end-of-life care, together with the physicians who care for them.