Esther Rantzen's daughter Rebecca Wilcox could risk prison to aid mum's death

Dame Esther Rantzen's daughter, Rebecca Wilcox, has hinted at the possibility of defying the law to support her mother in an assisted death scenario if it becomes necessary.

Five-time grandmother and renowned broadcaster Esther is at the forefront of a campaign pushing for the legalisation of assisted dying in the UK after being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer in January last year.

Rebecca has openly expressed her concerns about potentially accompanying her mother to Switzerland, where organisations like Dignitas could assist in an assisted death, reports the Mirror.

In her heartfelt piece for Saga magazine, Rebecca wrote: "If she goes at the moment it would be her only option for an assisted death she will have to go alone. It is against the law to accompany her. I would face prosecution for manslaughter and could receive up to 14 years in prison."

She continued, detailing the personal toll such a decision could take: "Even if it doesn't go to trial, many people face a two-year investigation. I have a young family with two children, a busy home and a complex job. I shouldn't have to risk going to prison just to keep mum company, but I'm not sure I could let her go alone."

Rebecca further shared the heart-wrenching dilemma she faces: "It's an impossible decision to have to make: either risk possible prosecution at the worst time of my life, when I have just lost my adored mum, or do the unthinkable and let her die alone in a foreign country with no one she knows or loves to hold her hand."

Rebecca opened up about the harrowing prospect of Dame Esther facing a painful death due to her incurable illness.

She expressed her anguish, saying: "The thought of her actually dying is abominable, but the thought of her dying in pain is unthinkable. Her health is not great and her illness has no cure. The prognosis may lead to a painful death that might not be eased with palliative care and opioid painkillers."

At 44, Rebecca is proud of her mum's campaign for assisted dying and is baffled by the government's inaction, stating: "I don't understand the lack of action by our government, which seems unable to commit on the subject. It's inhumane. The opportunity to have an assisted, comfortable death in countries like Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Switzerland shows a level of compassion in the lawmakers that seems sadly absent from England today."

Dame Esther, 83, famed for hosting 'That's Life!' and founding ChildLine, advocates for personal choice in end-of-life decisions, asserting that people should have autonomy over "how you want to go and when you want to go".

In 2009, Keir Starmer, then Director of Public Prosecutions, set out guidelines indicating that those helping a terminally ill person to die, if acting out of compassion, were unlikely to be prosecuted, provided the patient had a "clear, settled and informed wish to die".

However, actions that involve pressuring or persuading someone to commit suicide, or deriving any benefit from their death, could lead to prosecution.

Opponents of the law change have expressed worry that legalising assisted dying could coerce vulnerable individuals into ending their lives, fearing they are a burden to others.

This controversy was brought to light last month in a commons debate sparked by Dame Esther's campaign.

Dr Gordon Macdonald, head of the Care Not Killing campaign group, previously stated: "We should be talking about how to fix the UK's broken palliative care system so everyone can have a dignified death."

According to the Crown Prosecution Service, hitherto from April 2009 up until March 2024, 187 cases have been referred to them under the heading of assisted suicide, with four ensuing in successful prosecution for encouraging or assisting suicide.

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