The Facts
- On Thursday, a Canadian court decided to expedite the trial of Kenneth Law, who allegedly operated several websites that mailed poisonous chemicals to individuals who later died by suicide, and upgraded his charges from second-degree murder to first-degree.
- Law now faces 14 charges of first-degree murder and 14 charges of aiding and counseling suicide — all of which are related to 14 deaths that took place across Ontario. Authorities, however, suspect he's linked to at least 124 deaths across the globe, the majority of which took place in the UK.
- The UK's National Crime Agency has accused Law of having mailed the chemicals to 272 people in the UK, of which 90 of the alleged recipients later died. The packages, however, haven't been directly tied to each death. Despite the allegations against him globally, Law has only been charged in Ontario.
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The Spin
Narrative A
Seeking to capitalize on the pain and suffering of others, Law is a murderer who preyed upon the suicidal ideations of vulnerable people, leading to the tragic deaths of over a hundred. He is more of a serial killer than the merciful savior he paints himself to be and should be punished to the full extent of the law for his crimes.
Narrative B
While the allegations against Law are abhorrent, this case calls attention to the paradox at the heart of Canada's legal system, which — rightly — makes every effort to prevent suicides while at the same time takes a careless approach to medically assisted suicide. If found guilty, Law should indeed face the full extent of the law, but this case should also prompt Ottawa to reform its policies.
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