In an Ontario courtroom, a British survivor told the judge how Canadian poison seller Kenneth Law took advantage of her crisis.
Law, a former chef, sold roughly 1,
200 packages of toxic substances to people he met in online suicide forums across 40 countries. About a quarter of those packages were sent to victims in the UK.
Law was arrested in May 2023 after a joint investigation by agencies in Canada, the UK, Italy and the US.
The sentencing hearing on Wednesday was a turning point for survivors such as Elisabeth Belien, who faced Law at age 23. She described her mental health battle, how Law’s products made suicide easier, and the lasting shame of having survived. She told the court she continued to have intrusive thoughts and flashbacks, but that she is learning to see a better future.
"I felt like the purchasing from Kenneth Law enabled him to continue his business, supplying his products to other people who might have been vulnerable, like I was." – Elisabeth Belien
Victim‑impact statements were read from families across the globe, including the parents of Thomas Parfett, whose son bought poison in January 2023, and the family of 14‑year‑old Henry Tucker who died last year.
Law pled guilty to 14 counts of aiding suicides in Canada and accepted a plea deal that shields him from charges abroad, but he will face a prison term in Canada.
The case highlights the reach of online markets that facilitate self‑harm and the need for tighter regulation and support for those in crisis.
