Assisted suicide in Germany

What if you don't want to carry on with life? What is known as assisted dying – killing somebody in accordance with his or her wishes – is illegal in Germany. Meanwhile, both suicide and assisted suicide are permitted by law. The German parliament is currently looking into new legislation on these complex matters. So what could a revised law look like? Should assisted dying be allowed?

Nikolaus Schneider, who was for four years the chairman of Germany's influential Protestant Church Council, found himself personally battling with these questions when his wife was diagnosed with cancer. Wanting to die or having to live – who has the right to make a decision over life and death? On this week’s DW Interview, Nikolaus Schneider has some answers.