Arrest of man who helped wife to die reignites assisted suicide debate

The arrest of a man in Madrid who helped his wife of 30 years who was suffering from multiple sclerosis to kill herself has put the issue of assisted suicide back in the spotlight.

Catalan health minister, Alba Vergés, on Friday called for an "immediate" debate on the issue, and a change in the law to allow terminally ill people the right to a dignified death.

Vergés also pointed out that in 2017, Parliament passed a bill aimed at decriminalizing assisted suicide that was later blocked by the PP and Cs conservative parties.

The minister also said that 93,000 people in Catalonia had signed up to the register of living wills (DVA), a pioneering initiative in Spain launched in 2002 by the Catalan government.