For the first time in the Netherlands, a child under 12 years of age has been euthanized as of 2024 according to the rules allowing for the active ending of life for patients aged 1 to 12. The discussion concerns terminally ill children for whom easing the situation is impossible.
This was reported by Poland's "Dorzeczy" portal.
However, despite the existing rules, the high-profile incident has reached the prosecutor's office. According to the Dutch Health Minister Sofie Hermans, the request regarding euthanasia was submitted to a special commission responsible for evaluating such cases. The body analyzed the documentation and spoke with the doctor involved in the procedure.
Currently, the commission's opinion has been sent to the prosecutor's office. It is the investigators who will decide whether the doctor acted lawfully. The authorities have not disclosed any details about the child. It is unknown how old the child is, the gender, or which disease the child suffered from.
Journalists note that according to the rules, euthanasia may only be applied to children expected to die in the near future. The rules apply in cases of severe congenital defects of the brain, lungs, and heart, as well as serious metabolic diseases.
Opponents of this procedure insist that it concerns children who cannot freely express their own will. Some experts have pointed out that the final evaluation of each procedure belongs not to the medical commission but to the prosecutor's office, which could create fear of criminal liability./oxu.az