Self-requested euthanasia for children in Belgium

In parliamentary debate in Belgium, the relevance of age has been regarded as less important than the capacity for discernment of involved issues and implications, which varies widely in children, whether they are seriously ill or not. Therefore, the bill that was approved by the Senate on Dec 12, 2...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Lancet (British edition) 2014-02, Vol.383 (9918), p.671-672
Main Authors: Dan, Bernard, Fonteyne, Christine, de Cléty, Stéphan Clément
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Age
Assisted suicide
Belgium
Choice Behavior
Decision Making
Europe
Euthanasia
Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary - ethics
Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary - legislation & jurisprudence
Euthanasia, Active, Voluntary - trends
Hospice care
Humans
Internal Medicine
Mental Competency
Minors - psychology
Palliative Care
Patient Rights - legislation & jurisprudence
Patient Rights - trends
Personal Autonomy
Quality of Life
Wedge Argument
Young Adult
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Summary:In parliamentary debate in Belgium, the relevance of age has been regarded as less important than the capacity for discernment of involved issues and implications, which varies widely in children, whether they are seriously ill or not. Therefore, the bill that was approved by the Senate on Dec 12, 2013 and enacted by the Chamber of Representatives on Feb 13, 2014 makes no reference to any age limit.16 This situation contrasts with the Dutch law,2 which allows terminally ill children to seek euthanasia from the age of 12 years, with full parental consent required up to 16 years of age.
ISSN:0140-6736
1474-547X
DOI:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)60110-0