The elements of aiding suicide under s 311(c) of the Criminal Code (Qld) are: (a) the accused did an act; (b) the accused did that act intending thereby to aid the deceased in killing herself; (c) the deceased killed herself; and (d) the accused's acts did aid the deceased in killing herself. It is not necessary for the prosecution to prove that suicide was probable or even likely when the aid was given; it is sufficient to prove that the accused intended his actions to assist the deceased in killing herself and that she killed herself with that aid. For sentencing, the offence of counselling suicide under s 311(b) may be compared in moral culpability to murder by inducement, particularly where the offender acts against a vulnerable victim for financial gain.
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