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Thread: Euthanasia Worldwide

  1. #1
    Moderator Ryan's Avatar
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    Euthanasia Worldwide

    Voluntary euthanasia: 17-year-old in Belgium first minor to be granted right to die under new rules

    A 17-year-old has ended their life through doctor-assisted suicide in Belgium, the head of the National Committee for Euthanasia said.

    The 17-year-old is the first minor to do so under rules adopted in 2014 allowing voluntary euthanasia for people of all age.

    Wim Distelmans, who chairs Belgium's Federal Control and Evaluation Committee on Euthanasia, said the minor was 17 and a local doctor had reported the case to his committee last week, but he gave no other details.

    Belgium legalised euthanasia in 2002 and two years ago amended the rules to permit doctor-assisted death for minors in a hopeless medical situation and with their explicit consent.

    It is the only country in the world that allows euthanasia for minors of all ages.

    In the neighbouring Netherlands the practice is legal for children aged 12 or over.

    Mr Distelmans said in an emailed statement the Belgian law defined euthanasia very strictly.

    Minors must be conscious and able to make rational decisions when they request assisted death.

    Psychologists or psychiatrists must be consulted and the parents must give their permission.

    In the 10 years to 2013, the number of euthanasia cases in Belgium rose from about 1,000 to 8,752, according to official records.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-1...elgium/7855620

  2. #2
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    MORAL HIGHGROUND

    Children are being euthanized in Belgium

    By Charles Lane
    The Washington Post

    Deliberately taking a small child’s life is unlawful everywhere in the world, even when the child is terminally ill and asks a doctor to end his or her suffering once and for all.

    There is an exception to this rule: Belgium. In 2014, that country amended its law on euthanasia, already one of the most permissive in the world, authorizing doctors to terminate the life of a child, at any age, who makes the request.

    For a year after the law passed, no one acted on it. Now, however, euthanasia for children in Belgium is no longer just a theoretical possibility.

    Between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2017, Belgian physicians gave lethal injections to three children under 18, according to a July 17 report from the commission that regulates euthanasia in Belgium.

    The oldest of the three was 17; in that respect, Belgium was not unique, since the Netherlands permits euthanasia for children over 12.

    Belgian doctors, however, also ended the lives of a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old.

    These were the first under-12 cases anywhere, Luc Proot, a member of the Belgian commission, told me in an interview.

    Everywhere else in the world, the law reflects powerful human intuitions, moral and practical: that it is wrong to abandon hope for a person so early in life, no matter the illness; that it is absurd to grant ultimate medical autonomy to someone too young to vote or legally consent to sex; and that even the best-intentioned fallible human beings should not be entrusted with such life-and-death power.

    In Belgium, a kind of libertarian technocracy has conquered these qualms. Euthanasia advocates insist that some children, even very young ones, may possess the same decisional capacity as some adults, and it’s therefore discriminatory to deny them the freedom to choose euthanasia based on an arbitrary age limit.

    Meanwhile, Belgian law trusts experts to prevent mistakes or abuses. Doctors must verify that a child is “in a hopeless medical situation of constant and unbearable suffering that cannot be eased and which will cause death in the short term.”

    After a child makes his or her wish for euthanasia known, in writing, child psychiatrists conduct examinations, including, Proot told me, intelligence tests, to determine that the youngster is capable and “not influenced by a third party.” Parents can, however, prevent the request from being carried out.

    Once any euthanasia — for a child or an adult — has occurred, a six-member commission examines the case file to make sure everything was done properly.

    Medical privacy, however, limits what the commission can review. Names of patients and doctors are redacted. If concerns about the lawfulness of a procedure arise, the commission can vote to look at identifying information, but this rarely happens. (Most of Belgium’s 4,337 euthanasias in 2016-2017 involved adults with cancer.) The commission’s public reports contain mainly overall statistics, with limited details of individual cases.

    We do know the 11-year-old euthanized last year had cystic fibrosis. This congenital respiratory disease is incurable and fatal, but modern treatments enable many patients to enjoy high quality of life well into their 30s or even beyond. Median life expectancy for new CF cases in the United States is now 43 years, according to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

    Proot assured me that everything was in order, not only with the 11-year-old’s case but also with the other two: a 17-year-old with Duchenne muscular dystrophy and a 9-year-old with a brain tumor. “I saw mental and physical suffering so overwhelming that I thought we did a good thing,” he told me.

    Proot was, of course, relying on reports by the anonymous physicians who participated in the euthanasias, and we, in turn, must take Proot at his word: Journalists and other members of the public are not permitted to review the case files independently, even in redacted form.

    What, exactly, convinced doctors that these children’s cases were hopeless, that their deaths were imminent — and that the kids fully understood not only euthanasia but also the treatment options that might have alleviated their condition?

    Such questions seem especially pertinent for Belgium, given the problems it has experienced since legislators allowed euthanasia for patients with cognitive and psychiatric illnesses, such as dementia, depression or schizophrenia, even if they have no terminal physical ailment.

    Last year, a member of the euthanasia commission resigned in protest because it refused to recommend prosecution when a woman with dementia who had not requested euthanasia was nevertheless put to death at her family’s request.

    Since then, 360 Belgian doctors, academics and others have signed a petition calling for tighter controls on euthanasia for psychiatric patients.

    For now, however, the policy remains the same, and the Belgian public’s support for euthanasia remains undiminished. The precedent for euthanizing children has been established, and more will almost certainly receive lethal injections this year, next year and the year after that.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opini...=.8df386f759c3

  3. #3
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    4000 people were killed by lethal injection in Belgium in 2016, in the US 20 were killed by lethal injection. Yet one has the gull to lecture the other one on "Human Rights" and "Suffering".


    SICK
    Last edited by Mike; 08-07-2018 at 10:42 PM.

  4. #4
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    April 12, 2017

    Number of official cases of euthanasia rise 10% in the Netherlands

    Dutch News

    The number of official cases of euthanasia in the Netherlands rose 10% last year to 6091 and euthanasia now accounts for 4% of total deaths, the regional monitoring boards said on Wednesday.In 10 cases, the rules for euthanasia were not followed correctly, most of which involved a failure to properly consult a second doctor, the RTE annual report said.

    In one case, a doctor was reprimanded for ‘crossing the line’ with a patient suffering from severe dementia.Of the total, 87% of assisted deaths involved people with cancer, serious heart or lung problems or diseases of the nervous system such as ALS.There were 32 more cases of assisted suicide involving people with dementia, most of whom were in the early stages of the disease. In addition, there were 60 cases involving people with severe psychiatric problems, a rise of four on 2015.

    DemographicsMonitoring committee chairman Jacob Kohnstamm said it is not easy to determine why there has been a rise in overall cases. The demographic make-up of the Netherlands could be one reason for the increase, as could a change of opinion among doctors, he said.

    Some 85% of euthanasia requests are carried out by the patient’s own doctor, usually at home.Euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands under strict conditions. For example, the patient must be suffering unbearable pain and the doctor must be convinced the patient is making an informed choice.

    The opinion of a second doctor is also required. Since the legislation was introduced in 2002, there have been a number of controversial cases, including a woman suffering severe tinnitus and a serious alcoholic.

    https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2017/0...e-netherlands/

    4% of all deaths in a nation are by suicide that's horrible.

  5. #5
    Administrator Aaron's Avatar
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    I support voluntary euthanasia for the terminally ill, or for people with no quality of life (paralyzed from the neck down, for example). Sometimes death is release.

    But, I agree that most Euros (no offense to European members on here) live in a different world, and have no right to lecture us on anything. The same people who use children as political props consider these nations a blueprint. These people think 18 is too young to own a gun, but that 9 is old enough to choose their gender (along with life altering surgery and hormones) and to choose to die.
    Don't ask questions, just consume product and then get excited for next products.

    "They will hurt you. They will hurt your grandma, these people. The root cause of this is there's no discipline in the homes, they don't go to school, you know, they live off the government, no personal accountability, and they just beat people up for no reason, and it's disgusting." - Former Hamilton County Prosecutor Joe Deters

  6. #6
    Senior Member Frequent Poster Alfred's Avatar
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    I am from the Netherlands and fully support this practice, as well for children. It's not just the case that the child feels like it's done with the situation, several doctors always have to agree that the situation of the patient is hopeless and unbearable, as Dutch law prescribes.

    If you're suffering unbearably without the prospect of improvement, you'd wish to be able to have euthanasia granted (which is an extensive process in NL).

    Moreover, I feel like the comparison with executions is very unsuited. In the Netherlands, once injected, the patient dies within a minute. Not to lecture anyone, but that surely is something that US executions could learn from. For a demonstration of a case of euthanasia in the Netherlands, watch this video at 50:40. The woman in blue dies almost instantly.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJ_GvyA5AI8

    Everywhere else in the world, the law reflects powerful human intuitions, moral and practical: that it is wrong to abandon hope for a person so early in life, no matter the illness; that it is absurd to grant ultimate medical autonomy to someone too young to vote or legally consent to sex; and that even the best-intentioned fallible human beings should not be entrusted with such life-and-death power.
    This is a quote from the article that Mike posted. Frankly, I believe this is insane. Age doesn't matter when to decide if you're suffering unbearably or not. What the author basically says is if you're young and there is no hope, Thou shalt suffer! Very moral indeed

    Mike said:
    4% of all deaths in a nation are by suicide that's horrible.
    Why? These 4% had died lingering deaths from cancer for example. With lungcancer (one of the most prevalent cancers) for example you can die from suffocation. You'd think that's better?

    Using gratuitous arguments against euthanasia to be able to place yourself on the moral highground is one thing, but it is quite meaningless if you're not considering the alternative for these people: terrible deaths.
    Last edited by Alfred; 08-08-2018 at 03:38 AM.

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    Senior Member CnCP Addict one_two_bomb's Avatar
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    I think any adult who does not want to live should have the right to end their own life, medical condition or not. If someone really wants to die who am I to say no? I also support legalizing all drug use, prostitution, gambling and other "crimes" that don't have a victim. I don't support or condone any of these activities, but I also don't want the government telling people how to live, as long as they aren't hurting anyone else.

  8. #8
    Senior Member Frequent Poster Fact's Avatar
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    In theory, if it is a medical certainty that the child is going to die and that the child's death will be accompanied with physical pain of an anomalous degree, I am not opposed to allowing euthanasia. Again, in theory. My issue is more that Belgium and the Netherlands seem to be incrementally increasing the number of cases where euthanasia is permissible, and I don't trust that they will stop until this becomes an avenue for the cowardly to commit suicide.

  9. #9
    Senior Member CnCP Legend Mike's Avatar
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    Some lawmakers in the Netherlands want to change the law to allow people who believe they had a complete life to be euthanized, no pain, nor disease just tired of living. Euthanasia is a slippery slope that will eventually led to healthy people and the misdiagnosed dying from it.

    The people die in a minute because they are using drugs that they REFUSE to sell to us for executions.

    4% can quickly turn into 10% if the law is changed. If people give up hope cures will never be found.

    When will there be an audit of the deaths to see how many of these people's situations weren't hopeless?

  10. #10
    Senior Member Frequent Poster Alfred's Avatar
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    Under current policy, several docters have to agree that the requirements are met. And then, after euthanasia, every single case is being reviewed by a national health care watch dog. For the year 2016, they concluded that in one case euthanasia should not have been provided. In such a case a docter appears in court. So no need for audits, the figures are available.

    Thera are indeed certain lawmakers who think people that believe having a ''completed life'' should also be able to get euthanasia if they wish so. At this point no more than 20 % of parliament supports such policy, but the numbers are expected to grow.

    In that case we would be talking about the elderly, living in a house for the elderly, who are world-weary, partly because of loneliness (which is a big problem among them).

    I would not necessarily directly support such a policy, on the other hand, like one_two_bomb said, who are you and I to tell others that they should keep living no matter what.

    Some say life is a party. But if you don't like a party, you usually go home. Apparently for some life is a party and you must have fun and you can't go home and it might continue for who knows how long.
    Last edited by Alfred; 08-08-2018 at 10:11 AM.

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