The decision has been debated in the Netherlands for many years. In Belgium, euthanasia of young children is already allowed.
In the Netherlands, the government decided on Friday to allow euthanasia, or mercy death, also for children under the age of 12 who suffer “unbearably and without hope” due to, for example, an incurable illness or injury.
The initiative came to the conclusion originally from Dutch doctors, who had recommended removing the age limit for those wishing to euthanasia.
Euthanasia has been legal for over 12-year-olds for over twenty years in both the Netherlands and its neighboring country Belgium, and the countries were the first countries in the world to allow euthanasia. Until now, those over 12 needed their parents’ permission until they turned 16.
Parents can also request euthanasia for their baby under one year old.
In Belgium, euthanasia of children was allowed in 2014. The conditions were defined that the child must want it himself and understand what euthanasia means.
Affects fewer than ten children each year
In order to put the decision into effect, the government does not need permission from the country’s parliament, but it is enough to modify the existing protocol. of the English-language NL Times magazine by (you switch to another service) the decision could enter into force within a year.
According to the magazine, a study was published in 2019 that described, for example, a case in which a mother said that a child suffering from a brain tumor had been screaming for three days without a break, banging his head and screaming for help. The study also reported on children who suffer from bouts of illness almost non-stop.
– Every year (euthanasia) affects a small group of around 5-10 children, for whom treatment options are not sufficient to alleviate suffering and who are expected to die in the near future, the Dutch Ministry of Health said in a statement.
If the child is unable to give consent himself, euthanasia can also be carried out with the permission of the parents, so that they first consult with the doctor, said a spokesman for the Ministry of Health Axel Dees for news agency AFP.
The decision has been hotly debated in the Netherlands for years, and two Christian parties, the prime minister Mark Rutten in the governing coalition opposed it.
According to official statistics, more than 8,700 people were euthanized in the Netherlands last year. Most of them had incurable cancer.
STT