UK mom who killed her son to 'remove his pain' in 1981 dies of cancer
Antonya Cooper with her son Hamish
A 77-year-old UK woman who killed her 'terminally ill' son with a large dose of morphine in 1981 died last week battling cancer. Antonya Cooper from Abingdon, Oxfordshire was fighting breast, pancreatic and liver cancer. Just last week, she had admitted to killing her son with a drug overdose decades ago to end his 'suffering' and 'quietly end his life'. She said her son Hamish was in 'a lot of pain' and was 'facing the most horrendous suffering'.
She also stressed that she was 'willing to face the consequences' of her actions. Following her confession, Thames Valley Police had opened a probe into the incident.
Cooper's daughter was quoted as saying by BBC that her mom died at home in peace. "It was exactly the way she wanted it. She lived life on her terms and she died on her terms," she said.
Assisted death illegal in UK
It must be noted that assisted death is illegal in UK. Back in 2015, members of parliament rejected such a proposal 330-118. However, support for an alternative policy has grown over the last few years. One opinion poll showed that 75 per cent of the public now supports legislation for assisted death.
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Prime Minister Keir Starmer has now promised to revive debate over the issue.
Admission of guilt
Cooper last week recalled how she 'helped' her son escape a lot of pain' that came from his stage 4 cancer and “beastly” treatment.
“On Hamish’s last night, when he said he was in a lot of pain, I said: ‘Would you like me to remove the pain?’ and he said: ‘Yes please, mama.’
“And through his Hickman catheter, I gave him a large dose of morphine that did quietly end his life,” she added.
Cooper's son was suffering from neuroblastoma, a rare cancer that mostly affects children.
“I feel very strongly that at the point of Hamish telling me he was in pain, and asking me if I could remove his pain, he knew, he knew somewhere what was going to happen …. It was the right thing to do. My son was facing the most horrendous suffering and intense pain, I was not going to allow him to go through that,” the mother said.
(With inputs from agencies)