Euthanasia for young children who endure intolerable suffering and are incurable, demanded for years by Dutch paediatricians, will be possible in the Netherlands, the government announced on Friday.
The executive clarified that this concerns a “
small group
”, of five to ten children under the age of twelve per year, “
for whom palliative care options are not sufficient to relieve their suffering
”.
Diseases or Disorders
"
This will concern children with a disease or disorder so severe that death is inevitable and...expected in the foreseeable future
," Dutch Health Minister Ernst Kuipers said.
Assisted dying will be possible "
when it is the only reasonable alternative for a doctor to put an end to the desperate and unbearable suffering of the child
", he stressed in a letter to Parliament.
Euthanasia is already legal in the Netherlands for people over the age of twelve who can give their consent, and for babies under the age of one with parental consent.
Belgium had in February 2014 become the first country in the world to take the decision to authorize without age limit minors, “
able to discern
” to choose euthanasia.
Following a reassessment of the existing regulation, the Dutch government has in turn decided to extend end-of-life support “
to include children aged one to twelve years
”.
But in the Netherlands, "
if the child is unable to do so, the parent can do so, in consultation with the doctor,
" Axel Dees, spokesperson for the Ministry of Health, told AFP. .
Read alsoLa Semaine du FigaroVox - "Euthanasia: Pandora's box?"
The decision comes after years of debate, and even faced opposition within Prime Minister Mark Rutte's own ruling coalition, where two parties are Christian-influenced.
“
It is a particularly complex subject which deals with very trying situations
”, conceded Ernst Kuipers, quoted in a press release.
The regulations are expected to be published this year, according to the government.
An evaluation will take place a few years after its entry into force.
On April 1, 2002, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to authorize this medical procedure.
Belgium quickly followed suit.
Every year in the Netherlands, more and more people resort to euthanasia, 8700 people last year, according to official figures.
The majority suffered from terminal cancer.
