The final word is with the child: if he “prefers his current situation to the end of his life,” no suppression can be carried out. They call it “sweet death,” but it’s not like that. Rather, it is a dramatic decision that hides a thousand pitfalls and a lot of pain. L'euthanasiawhich has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002, will also be available to foreigners from tomorrow Children under the age of twelve who suffer from serious illnesses. The regulation passed in recent months, which provides for this possibility, comes into force with the aim of regulating the actions of doctors in emergency situations as clearly as possible. But the real concern – expressed particularly by the Catholic world – is quite different and concerns the ethical and social implications Disadvantages of such a change.
According to our findings, the new regulation would also be a blind intervention. In fact, it's not included yet no requirement of helping to end the lives of children and also the topic last will and testament of young patients currently remains an implication. However, a general rule should do justice to the complex reality. According to the Dutch Ministry of the Interior, the regulation would only affect a “small group” of cases (five to ten children per year) for whom “palliative care options are not sufficient to alleviate their suffering.” But the fact that a child – even one seriously ill – can decide their own death is shocking, and the fact that someone can speak for them or suggest it is even more impressive. deadly option.
The Netherlands is following in the footsteps of Belgium, which in 2014 became the first country in the world to pass a law allowing euthanasia for children. The topic is absolutely controversial: a society that defends the supposed right to die but does not protect the inviolable right to life risks legitimizing a dangerous person Throwaway culture. Under current Dutch law, active euthanasia is only permitted in the case of serious, incurable and intolerable illnesses. But a certain school of thought, which is unfortunately also shared by many doctors, is beginning to argue that even “weariness of life,” which major depression or the high age There are sufficient reasons to consider euthanasia to be practical.
In the Netherlands, young people aged twelve and over can apply for euthanasia. Parental consent is required up to the age of 16. Me too since 2005 malformed newborns They can be killed without penalty if certain medical conditions are met. However, such legislation opens up a devastating dividewhich calls into question conscience and, above all, common sense: in the society of rights for all and inclusion at all costs, the response of the authorities to those who are sick or do not respect certain standards of efficiency is death.
And it is wrong to believe that these are a few isolated cases. In 2022, up to 8,720 people died in the Netherlands due to active care from doctors. This represents an increase of 13.7 percent compared to 2021. Overall, approximately 5.1 percent of all 169,938 deaths in 2022 were due to assisted suicide. And strengthening palliative care, perhaps with the help of research? And what about life support, even under the most difficult and extreme conditions? For some, this may be an economic expense that needs to be optimized.