AFP, TORONTO, Canada
A man accused of helping dozens of people worldwide kill themselves by selling them poison is set to appear in a Canadian court on Friday, where he is expected to plead guilty to 14 crimes. Since Kenneth Law’s arrest in 2023, details of the online forums where he advised distressed people on how to end their lives have caused public outrage and triggered investigations in several countries. Law faces 14 murder charges and an additional 14 charges for aiding or counseling suicide in Canada.
Kim Prosser holds a photo of her with her son, Ashtyn Prosser, in Windsor, Canada, on Sept. 14, 2023.
However, prosecutors have withdrawn the murder charges in exchange for Law pleading guilty to the lesser offenses, according to his defense lawyer and families of his victims. Legal experts said counseling suicide is a serious crime and Law could receive a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison.
News that Law would not stand trial for murder came as a disappointment to some families. David Parfett’s son Thomas was 22 when he ended his own life in 2021 with materials allegedly supplied by Law. Thomas’ death is not part of the Canadian case, but is among the dozens of British suicides reportedly linked to Law’s online forums. Since Thomas’ death, his father has become an advocate for more rigorous legislation to confront online spaces that guide people toward harm. He said he believes Canadian authorities were missing an opportunity to establish the gravity of Law’s conduct. “If [Law] hadn’t been offering detailed instructions about how to take your own life, then the chances are my son would still be here. So again, for me, it’s murder,” Parfett said. Kim Prosser’s son Ashtyn took his own life in March 2023, weeks before Law’s arrest. “To be at the courthouse on Friday and to sit there... it’s a beginning to another chapter of this process of healing,” she said. Prosser now works in holistic coaching and wellness, and said she understands other families are furious Law would not be held culpable for murder, but that she does not share that emotion. A key issue facing prosecutors was whether the same alleged conduct could amount to counseling suicide and murder.Dalhousie University law professor Robert Currie said Law’s prosecutors were closely watching a separate case before the Canadian Supreme Court, hoping the country’s top judges would offer clarity on the issue. However, the Supreme Court left that question unanswered, and prosecutors doubted they could secure murder convictions against Law, Currie said, adding that he would still be given a significant sentence. Law, 60, is a former chef who allegedly shipped parcels to hundreds of people in dozens of countries.
