British craft shop owner dies at Swiss clinic

Amanda Machin, a 65-year-old crafting influencer from North Yorkshire, ended her life at a Swiss clinic amid bullying allegations in Bentham.

British craft shop owner dies at Swiss clinic after bullying claims

Amanda Machin, 65, known online as Amanda Bloom, travelled to Pegasos in Switzerland where assisted death is legal even without terminal illness. The move followed weeks of what supporters described as bullying and harassment by a small group of Bentham crafters. Her shop, Amanda Bloom Craft Room, closed and a sticker reading Good appeared on the window. In posts she said the bullying had made her life unsafe and cost her business, home and financial security.

She left a goodbye message stating she longed for her daughter Jenny, who died in 2017, and that she wanted a dignified death. The clinic confirmed her death to a designated contact. Reports say she paid around £10,000 for the procedure, and that the date had been moved up due to what she described as escalating harassment. The story has divided the village, with supporters saying she was driven to this by cruelty and opponents arguing the community was not to blame.

The case exposes how grief can collide with public scrutiny in small towns online. It raises questions about whether digital culture amplifies personal crises and whether access to assisted dying abroad should be more tightly regulated when non terminal cases are involved. It also shows how quickly a private tragedy can become a public debate that leaves a town divided and financially strained.

The episode highlights the need for better mental health support for people in mourning and for clearer guidance on end of life choices. It asks policymakers and communities to consider how to protect vulnerable individuals from online harassment while respecting personal autonomy.

Highlights

The case invites reflection on care, community, and choice in times of loss.