Suicide still treated as a crime in at least 20 countries, report finds

One in every 100 deaths is a suicide: campaigners say criminalisation deters people seeking the help they need

Suicide is still considered a crime in 20 countries, punishable by fines of thousands of pounds and up to three years in prison, research has revealed.

In many nations children can be prosecuted for attempted suicide and in Nigeria, children as young as seven can be arrested, tried and prosecuted, said the report by United for Global Mental Health, a group calling for decriminalisation. A further 20 countries make suicide punishable under sharia law.