A 68-year-old man appeared in court yesterday charged with being party to a suicide pact following the death of his wife in Levin last year.
The man became the subject of an investigation after reporting the death, which police described as "unexplained", on October 12.
He was granted interim name suppression when he appeared in Levin District Court yesterday, The Dominion Post reported.
The 63-year-old woman was understood to have been suffering from a long and debilitating illness.
Euthanasia advocates have criticised the laying of the charge saying it was cruel considering the trauma the man had already been through.
Detective Senior Sergeant Marc Hercock said he understood the sensitivity of the case, but police had to follow the investigation through.
"In a case of this magnitude, where someone has died, there is no room for discretion," he said.
The man was bailed to reappear in court on October 1.
He faces a maximum five year jail term for the charge, which relates to two people agreeing to enter a suicide pact and only one person surviving.
NZPA