Is it legal to intentionally manipulate a person towards suicide?
<p>I think this should count as murder (attempted murder if the victim does not fall prey that is), since there is an intention to kill and the process is plotted and carried out ruthless with extraordinary care and profound understanding of human psychology on the killer's part. But legal definition of murder often refers to UNWILLINGNESS on the victim's part. So I'm very confused.</p>

<p>I have two other questions: is there truly a legal path to prosecute the killer and has any of such killer actually been caught and punished? If so, what type of evidence would be needed in the court to make such act prosecutable?</p>

<p>I'm more interested in US law but cases in other countries are welcome as well</p>

<h1>Yes, but it is its own crime <a href="/questions/tagged/new-south-wales" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;new-south-wales&#39;" rel="tag">new-south-wales</a> <a href="/questions/tagged/australia" class="post-tag" title="show questions tagged &#39;australia&#39;" rel="tag">australia</a></h1>

<p><a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca190082/s31c.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">s31C(2)</a> of the Crimes Act 1900:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>2) Where:</p>
  
  <p>(a) a person incites or counsels another person to commit suicide, and</p>
  
  <p>(b) that other person commits, or attempts to commit, suicide as a consequence of that incitement or counsel,</p>
  
  <p>the first-mentioned person shall be liable to imprisonment for 5 years.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>An enthusiastic prosecutor could <em>try</em> to get a murder (<a href="http://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ca190082/s18.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">s18(1)(a)</a>) conviction:</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>(a) Murder shall be taken to have been committed where the act of the accused, or thing by him or her omitted to be done, causing the death charged, was done or omitted with reckless indifference to human life, or with intent to kill or inflict grievous bodily harm upon some person, or done in an attempt to commit, or during or immediately after the commission, by the accused, or some accomplice with him or her, of a crime punishable by imprisonment for life or for 25 years.</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The difficulty with this is that it would be difficult to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused <em>caused</em> the death.</p>

murder suicide