Euthanasia for terminally ill children under 12 to be legalized in the Netherlands

The government of the Netherlands has announced its intention to legalize euthanasia for terminally ill children under 12. It is already legal for those over 12, with their consent.

Save them more suffering. In the Netherlands, the government has announced that they will legalize euthanasia for terminally ill children under 12, Le Figaro reports with AFP. Health Minister Hugo de Jonge said he would draft regulations on the subject. It is based in particular on a study written by medical experts, attesting that sick children suffer "desperately".

Euthanasia is already legal for children over 12 in the country, with their consent. As well as for babies under one year old, with parental consent. However, there is no legal clause regarding children under 12 and over one year old, due to a debate between the Dutch authorities on whether at that age they are capable to make such a decision.

"The study shows that there is a need for the power to intentionally end life among doctors and parents of incurable children, who are in desperate and appalling pain and will die for the foreseeable future.", wrote M. de Jonge in a letter to parliament. This new rule could affect five to ten children per year. The laws will not be changed, but doctors will be protected from any prosecution. The government is expected to implement these new regulations in the coming months.

And France?

In France, there is a law governing the rights of patients and at the end of life. This is the Leonetti law, promulgated in April 2005. Active euthanasia, that is to say, the injection of a drug to kill a patient, even without pain, is prohibited in France.

On the other hand, "Unreasonable stubbornness" the medical profession and "The artificial prolongation of a patient's life" are prohibited, even if the patient cannot express his will. This is called "passive euthanasia", that is to say, stopping any therapeutic intervention that has become ineffective in a terminally ill and incurable patient. Nevertheless "Stopping the injection of drugs following deep sedation must be collegial after consulting a trusted person close to the patient". The patient's wishes, expressed by them or by a loved one, must be respected. They must be informed of the consequences of such a decision.

France is thus far from the regulations in force in the Netherlands. In Europe, Belgium also decided to legalize euthanasia in 2002. In 2014, it also became the first country in the world to allow voluntary euthanasia of children.

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