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Daily Mail
3 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Family's shock after 'Swiss suicide clinic sends them a text telling them mother, 58, is dead... and her ashes are in the post'
A family has been left distraught after allegedly receiving a text message from a suicide clinic in Switzerland telling them that their mother was dead and her ashes would be sent in the post. Maureen Slough, a 58-year-old mother from Cavan, Ireland, travelled to the Pegasos clinic on July 8 telling her family she was going to Lithuania with a friend, according to a report in the Irish Independent. But her daughter, Megan Royal, was shocked when she later received a WhatsApp message saying her mother had died listening to gospel music sung by Elvis Presley, the report claimed. Now the family is demanding answers to find out why their mother, who they say attempted suicide a year earlier following the deaths of her two sisters, was able to seek assisted dying - without the family being informed, they claim. Friends of the mother are also reportedly horrified by the way the clinic repatriated the woman's remains - in the post. 'You get letters in the post, not people,' one friend of Ms Slough, Stephanie Daly, said. This is not the first time the non-profit assisted dying clinic Pegasos has attracted controversy. After 47-year-old teacher Alistair Hamilton took his own life at the Swiss clinic in 2023, despite having no diagnosed illness and without the knowledge of his family, Pegasos reportedly promised it would always contact a person's relatives before carrying out assisted death. But then 51-year-old British mother, Anne Canning, travelled to the clinic to end her life in 2025 without informing her family, and just 19 months after sinking into depression following the unexpected death of her son. When Ms Slough's family became suspicious about where she was, they contacted her and say she had promised to return home. Ms Slough's partner, Mick Lynch, reportedly spoke to her on the morning he would later realise was the day of her death. 'I was actually talking to her that morning and she was full of life,' he told the Irish Independent. 'She said after having her breakfast... she was going out to sit in the sun. Maybe she was heading off to that place. I still thought she was coming home.' After the shock of finding out Ms Slough had travelled alone to Switzerland and paid a reported £13,000 to the Pegasos Swiss Association to facilitate her death two days later, the family set about finding out how this could have happened. They were shocked that Pegasos accepted Ms Slough's application, considering the woman's long history of mental illness, and claimed the clinic did not inform the family of her plan. But the Pegasos group has allegedly said that it received a letter from Ms Slough's daughter, Megan, saying she was aware of her mother's desire to die and accepted her decision. The clinic also claimed it verified the authenticity of the letter through an email response to Ms Royal, using an email address supplied by her mother. Ms Royal insists she never wrote such a letter, however, or verified any contact from the assisted dying clinic, according to the report. Now, the Cavan woman's family claim she may have forged the 'letter' and verified it using an email address she created herself. Her brother Philip, a UK solicitor, claimed Ms Slough also provided the clinic with 'letters of complaint to medical authorities in Éire in respect of bogus medical conditions', and said these were used by Pegasos as documents to support her application, the report said. Ms Slough's daughter is allegedly insisting that her mother was not in her right mind when she made the decision to travel to the clinic, considering the fact that she was grief-stricken after the deaths of her two sisters. Her mother had attempted suicide a year earlier following the devastating news, it is claimed. She had a difficult upbringing as a child, having been brought to Ireland by her mother and a man she had met in a UK mental hospital, according to her daughter . 'They should not have allowed her to make that decision on her own. This group did not contact me, even though my mother had nominated me as next of kin,' Ms Royal told the Irish Independent. The friends of Ms Slough are not only reportedly shell-shocked following the news of her death, but also by the way Pegasos returns ashes to the family through the parcel post system. It is understood that the family also received goodbye letters, handwritten by Ms Slough, in recent weeks. The Pegasos group has said that it carried out an extensive assessment of the Cavan woman's mental health in the lead up to her death, including an independent psychiatric evaluation confirming she was of sound mind. The clinic added that she was consistently forthcoming about her background and history, and provided medical documentation including from her pain-management consultant. Ms Slough allegedly told the clinic repeatedly that she was in chronic pain that was unbearable, despite seeing a pain-specialist. Pegasos said that Ms Slough provided the clinic with a letter from her daughter, Megan, within which she said she was fully informed of her mother's decision, and that she had the opportunity to discuss it with her and understood the reasons behind her choice, wrote the Irish Independent. The clinic added that Megan confirmed the authenticity of the letter via email, within which she apologised for not being able to accompany her mother to Switzerland, and that she was not happy with her mother's choice but understood it nonetheless. Now, Ms Slough's brother is asking the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in the UK to investigate the matter with Swiss authorities. In a letter to the FCDO, it is understood that he accused the clinic of not rigorously following its own policy of informing family members prior to someone accessing assisted dying. He said he understands Pegasos sought a letter, purportedly written by Ms Royal, but criticised the clinic for only seeking confirmation through an email provided by Ms Slough herself. 'I am working on the assumption that my sister created this email and the clinic's procedures were woefully inadequate in verification,' he wrote. 'The Pegasos clinic has faced numerous criticisms in the UK for their practices with British nationals, and the circumstances in which my sister took her life are highly questionable.' When contacted by the Daily Mail for comment, the Pegasos Swiss Association said it was unable to 'share, confirm, nor deny the identities of our patients in public'. It added: 'When talking about voluntary assisted death in Switzerland, it is important to understand that all organisations are legally bound to do careful prior assessment. 'Pegasos has always respected the applicable Swiss law without exception and continues to do so.'
Daily Mirror
6 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Carer, 44, 'urged boy at kids' home to go missing so they could have night away'
Lindy Leah, 44, allegedly 'fell in love with' a teenage boy at the kids' home where she worked, and was said to have encouraged him to go 'missing from care' so they could spend time together A care worker encouraged a boy at the children's home she worked at to go "missing" so they could later meet up for a night away, a court heard. Lindy Leah, 44, from Warrington, allegedly "fell in love" with the teen, who she had been assigned to as his key worker. Lindy worked as a deputy manager at the home. The 44-year-old was said to have worn inappropriate and revealing outfits in his presence and allowed him to sleep in her bed, as well as apparently asking him "for a love bite", the court heard. She however "denies any improper behaviour" and is currently on trial at Liverpool Crown Court. Jurors were read a series of WhatsApp messages which were exchanged between Leah and the boy yesterday afternoon, Liverpool Echo reports. One one occasion, she told him "proper paranoid" that she had "lost him to a slag" before stating: "If you never met me then your life would be better. I miss you so much. All I want is for me and you to have a night away from everyone, just us. So if I wake up from these tablets and wine, then we will." Leah then went on to add: "Do you wanna go MSC [missing from care]? I love you so much. Can I book somewhere for me and you on Friday? Red and silky with some balloons and flake. Make sure you get your arse home tonight so you can go missing from care with me without there being meetings." Graham Pickavance, prosecuting, told the court that "balloons" was a "colloquial term" for the class C drug nitrous oxide. In a further message, Leah told the teen: "Just listened to a song and it made me cry. Stupid love songs. It made me think of you, then it made me cry. I won't be listening to that again. Add me back on Instagram now. "Why you took me off it? I get paranoid. I find it hard to trust you. I'm just scared you're still talking to her and going to see her. I just can't bear catching you out again. What's the point, because you know I'll find out? I hate her." In another message, Leah said: "I wanted to give you the chance to apologise to me before I left. I can't do this any more. I'm done. You really are not sorry for what you did today. Vile, what you did to me today. "Texting 'I'm sorry' after you called me all of the names and hit me isn't enough. Bye. Enjoy your ket session. One day you will realise what you did to me today. Enjoy the last 25 quid you ever took from me. Last chance to see me before I go." Leah was meanwhile said to have promised to buy the boy a tracksuit if he "stop sniffing ket" for two weeks. But, in a further message, she told him: "What you've done to me is vile. The worst thing is you, you don't even give a f***. You got what you wanted. "You actually don't give a f***. This will be the hardest decision of my life. I deserve to be treated better. The fact you stole and lied and you can't be arsed begging me to take you back shows you don't even give a f*** about me. Bye then. You hurt me then won't even speak to me. Instead of making an effort to say sorry, you blocked me. "You really want me to go away forever. You lied and stole from me and you blocked me. If I lied and stole from you would you speak to me? You're horrible to me. You don't care if you ever speak to me again or see me again. You're with your mates and they're clearly more important than how I feel. "Instead of being vile to me, how about fixing what you broke? You had no right to block me on Instagram and Snapchat. Add me back now. It's not even funny, 'cos I'm the one crying again. I've done f*** all wrong and I'm the one that gets hurt again. You genuinely don't give a f*** about me at all. A jury of six men and six women previously heard that Leah, of Capesthorne Road in Orford, Warrington, was employed as deputy manager of the care home in St Helens where the boy had been placed and was assigned as his key worker. But Mr Pickavance said during the prosecution's opening: "The defendant, by her own admission, admitted that she fell in love with him. But the crown say that it was not simply parental love, but something that went far beyond that and was physical love." While the teenager "does not support the prosecution", colleagues described "inappropriate" behaviour from Leah, who wore a black dress in the dock with her blonde hair tied back in a bun, as well as "unprofessional interventions which prevented [the boy] from being challenged about his behaviour". He was also said to have been seen lying in her bed at the home "as if it was completely normal", with the defendant having apparently remarked of this: "He's comfortable. He always does that. No one else has a problem." A subsequent investigation by Merseyside Police similarly recovered video footage of the teenager asleep in her bed. Leah was meanwhile reported to have "worn skin tight and highly revealing clothing" in his presence, including a bodysuit with no underwear and a "highly visible thong". The youth's mum also "grew more concerned" about the relationship between her son and Leah, who allegedly told the mother that the boy "had her wrapped around his little finger" and called him "gorgeous and handsome". Mr Pickavance added that messages exchanged between the two "painted a picture of a relationship far removed from a carer and child". When interviewed by detectives, she "denied any improper behaviour" but, having been released on bail under conditions not to contact the boy, the two were then spotted together weeks later beside a white Audi car at Walton Hall and Gardens in Warrington by a fellow care worker. Leah, who is represented by Rebecca Filletti, denies one count of being a person in a position of trust causing or inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. The trial, before Judge Brian Cummings KC, continues.
The Sun
6 minutes ago
- The Sun
WhatsApp users need to follow three rules to protect your account from scammers stealing data and money
WHATSAPP users have been urged to urgently follow three rules to protect accounts from scammers. The instant messaging app has over three billion active users, making it a huge target for cyber criminals. And Action Fraud has warned users that there has been a huge surge in reports of Whatsapp takeovers, where fraudsters gain access to the account and send messages to contacts with the aim of stealing data and money. Scammers often also lock people out of their accounts, so they can't send warnings to friends and family members to tell them they've been hacked. In a post on X, Action Fraud said: "Protect your WhatsApp account against hackers. "We continue to see a rise in the number of reports relating to WhatsApp account takeovers." So how can you protect your account from scams? Set up two step verification One of the best ways to prevent hackers from accessing your account is to set up two-step verification. This means that nobody can log in to your account unless you verify the log in on a secondary device, such as a laptop or tablet. Two-step verification makes it almost impossible for hackers to take over your phone, and also alerts you that someone is trying to access your account. To set up two-step verification head to your Whatsapp app and click on settings, account, two-step verification and enable. Never share an an activation code One of the main ways hackers gain access to your account is by sending you a message claiming to be from Whatsapp, asking you to share the activation code that has been texted to you. WhatsApp warning as grandad tricked into sending £24,000 to 'son' after scammers posed as him & stole credit card If you share the code, hackers can then reset your password, and kick you out of your account. "Never share your account's activation code (that 6 digit code you receive via SMS)," Action Fraud said. Stop, call think Finally, if you receive a message from a friend or family member asking you for money, try calling them before acting on it. Calling your family member helps to confirm their identity, and that they are actually asking you for cash. You could ask a question that only your loved one would know the answer to, or set up a code word in advance to ask the sender for if you worry they are not who they say they are. Scammer often pretend to be people's children, beginning their messages with 'hi mum', or 'hi dad'. They then claim to have lost their phone and be locked out of their bank account, praying on the parents' concern for their children's safety. Eventually, the fraudsters beg the mum or dad for rent money, with parents often forking out as they genuinely believe the texts are from their children. These messages often arrive via WhatsApp or text message, with scammers also sometimes pretending to be close friends or parents. According to Action Fraud, these types of scam messages led to a financial loss of £226,744 in the UK between 2023 and 2025.
