Milan, July 31 (LaPresse) – Martina Oppelli, who had been living with multiple sclerosis for over 20 years, died this morning in Switzerland, where she accessed medically assisted suicide. The news was announced by the Luca Coscioni Association, which supported the 50-year-old woman from Trieste.
She was accompanied by Claudio Stellari and Matteo D’Angelo, members of Soccorso Civile, whose legal representative is Marco Cappato. In addition to them, 31 other people provided logistical and financial support.
On June 4, Oppelli received a third rejection from the Asugi healthcare company regarding her request to access medically assisted suicide: according to the health authority, she was not dependent on any life-sustaining treatment, despite her complete reliance on continuous caregiver assistance and medical aids (such as medications, a catheter, and a cough-assist machine).
For this reason, on June 19 — assisted by the legal team led by lawyer and Luca Coscioni Association Secretary General Filomena Gallo — Oppelli filed an appeal against the denial, along with a formal notice and warning to the health authority.
“Following the legal notice, a new evaluation process was initiated by the medical commission, but Martina Oppelli chose to go to Switzerland to access assisted dying because waiting any longer for a response was not an option for her: her suffering was unbearable,” the Luca Coscioni Association stated.
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