Discussion Could I be held legally accountable

[happilyneverafter]

I've been on here for a couple months now. And I have posted some of my own thoughts and replied to some other people's posts in this time. I've been suffering from bad depression (self diagnosis, drs have diagnosed me with everything to the point idk) and probably schizophrenia. So I came on here once I heard about it because I thought I could talk to people that could relate. But I saw a post I was about to reply to and idk why but the thought popped in my head that I might could get in serious trouble for answering. They wanted to know where the proper spot was to put the noose around their neck when they were going to hang themselves. So hear me out. If I answer this and then they use the method and die. Then the family finds their account on here and sees I explained the directions to them on how to do it correctly, couldn't they say that person wouldn't have had the knowledge to correctly carry it out without my direction? Or not? Or in another post I replied to where someone was talking about using nylon as their choice for rope and I explained the rope and method used by executioners. Could it be said that nylon would have likely been ineffective and the person died because they instead used the rope I recommended? Can we be held accountable for answering questions or giving directions on methods to ctb? Could someone be held criminally and/or civilly accountable? What do you all think?

 

[Hellis]

Depends on a lot of factors that frankly I wouldn't advise you to share with us. I believe you could be held accountable in some way depending on the circumstances, but the chances of that are VERY low and probably require a level of moral corruption that someone with a suicide savior complex lacks. Even if there are laws protecting you in your country, that doesn't stop corrupt assholes, so in my mind it's always a risk.

If you are worried, there's ways to protect yourself from being tracked. I don't know how to do that stuff though. You can also just generally avoid those topics if it's too much a worry. You mean well and don't want to see unnecessary suffering, but you should prioritize yourself and your mental wellbeing as well.

 

[eattwinkiesseejesus]

Generally as a rule if you have to ask... the technical answer is yes. Anyone giving help or advice on how to specifically ctb to someone else is technically an accessory and or accomplice to manslaughter if they go thru with it and succeed. The family would have to diligently seek out where they found the resources and provide proof and everything to make a case but in short- it is a crime that can be held accountable by law if someone finds you.

 

[locked*n*loaded]

Anyone giving help or advice on how to specifically ctb to someone else is technically an accessory and or accomplice to manslaughter if they go thru with it and succeed.

Entirely WRONG! Having said that, it *can* depend on the laws in your own country. Legal matters are complex. However, in the US, DISCUSSION is protected by the 1st Amendment. Since this forum is US based, US law applies. Simply telling someone where to place a rope, or what type of rope to use, on their neck is opinion, which is protected speech. Culpability requires an overt act of some sort. It doesn't even rise to the level of encouragement.

Handing someone SN could be considered an overt act. Mailing someone SN could be considered an overt act. Mailing someone a rope could be considered an overt act. Telling someone where they might get SN is not an overt act, since it is only suggestive.

Now, with all that being said, anybody can civily sue anyone for just about anything. The burden of proof is much less in a civil matter as compared to a criminal matter. Just because someone can sue, doesn't mean they'll win, although it can still make your life a living hell just being sued. In the case of OP's rope examples, remember the persons asked for advice first. They initiated the inquiries. That matters. They're free to either take the advice, or ignore it.

Generally as a rule if you have to ask... the technical answer is yes.

There's absolutely no basis in fact to this statement. It's not my intent to just "call you out" on what you said, but these kinds of generalities are seldom helpful. Anyone, at any time, might ask anything, and by just having uncertainty about whether one's response might put them in legal peril, doesn't automatically make it so, even if they feel the need to ask if it might.

If you really want to provide protection for yourself, preface your responses with "I would". For example, when answering someone's inquiry about where to place the rope knot, answer with something like, "If it were me, I would put the knot at the back of my neck", or something along those lines. By doing this you're merely saying what you would do, not what they should do.

For the record, I'm not giving legal advice. I am not an attorney. It's just my opinion based on the law as I understand it, and my experiences with it.

 

[Dejected 55]

It can be very murky. Depends a lot on the laws where you live AND current people in charge of enforcing those laws. In the US, we have crazy oppressive laws still on the books but largely are unenforced, but get a bad apple in power with time to research and you find obscure laws and rules being enforced again out of the blue!

Then on a good day, there are laws open to interpretation... and even if you ultimately win your case, you could be in prison for years and out a LOT of money defending yourself.

In general it is true that hypothetical discussion in the US should be a freedom we have, your mileage may vary.

We did have a case not so long ago where a boy was depressed and a girl kept telling him to kill himself and he did and she was charged because of telling him to do it. She didn't give him instructions on methods... she just told him to kill himself. Now, was she a horrible person and cruel? Sure. But should she be in jail over it? I don't think so. It'd be different if we were talking about a psychiatrist telling a patient to kill themselves... but random person you know telling you? Seems like literal overkill to do that.

But then... we are the country now looking to put women in jail for having miscarriages because it might have been a stealth abortion and doctors are under the same threat of jail as well... Better to be safe than sorry.

 

[Foxcompany2nd3rd]

As long as it is not actively encouraging in a malice manner, I think you'll be fine. Just keep your answers vague and do not elude to anyone, speak in a 3rd person like manner and any acts or directions refer to them as done to yourself and not someone else.

You always should be cautious of what you say online, there are some extremely demented holier than thou self-righteous Karens(both male and female) that have a white knight savior complex vigilante mentality and will go on a witch hunt to catch you and burn you on the stake for being pro suicide, because anyone pro suicide is 'demonic' and 'of the devil' so they claim in the name of God almighty...