A one-year-old has become the world’s youngest known person to die by euthanasia.
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old → become → euthanasia
The child of “almost 24 months” died at the end of last year, a Dutch review board revealed, after previously reporting only that the child had been under 12.
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child → die → 12
The child, whose gender was not disclosed, had suffered from severe brain damage, cerebral palsy, visual impairment and epileptic seizures.
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gender → disclose → damage
They also had difficulty breathing and suffered from multiple infections leading to sepsis.
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They → have → sepsis
The report said the child had been euthanised by gradual sedation with “coma-inducing substances”.
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child → say → substances
Euthanasia for incurably ill children aged one to 12 has been legal in the Netherlands for two years.
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Euthanasia → age → years
Under Dutch law, parents must be consulted, and the child must be suffering unbearably with no hope of recovery.
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child → consult → recovery
The Netherlands was the first country to legalise assisted dying for those with incurable illnesses causing unbearable physical or mental suffering, in 2002.
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Netherlands → legalise → 2002
It is legal only under certain conditions, and has strong public support.
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It → have → support
In 2014, neighbouring Belgium became the first country in which euthanasia was available for all children.
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euthanasia → neighbour → children
Before the reform, there was no clear euthanasia policy for children between the ages of one and 12 because they were considered unable to make their own decisions.
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they → be → decisions
The youngest known case of child euthanasia before this case was a nine-year-old in Belgium who was given a lethal injection in 2016 or 2017.
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who → know → 2016
The Dutch report, by the committee for late-term abortion and termination of life in newborns and children, revealed the child had been born prematurely during a holiday abroad at only 26 weeks.
“Every facet of ‘being human’ in terms of motor skills, behaviour and personality was severely affected, and there would be no improvement,” it read.
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it → reveal → skills
“The child had very severe developmental delay; at the age of almost two years, the child’s developmental age was estimated to be that of a six-week-old baby.”
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age → have → baby
After determining the child’s condition would not improve, the doctor and parents decided to end the toddler’s life.
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doctor → determine → life
The board investigation found that the doctor who carried out the euthanasia had acted with due care and consulted other doctors for a second opinion.
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who → find → opinion
“Those physicians established that at that time the child was not continuously suffering unbearably,” the document read.
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document → establish → time
“The epilepsy caused a great deal of discomfort, but the epileptic seizures were not continuous.
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seizures → cause → discomfort
“Their conclusion was that there were still reasonable alternatives, such as palliative options and other medications that could possibly result in better control of the epileptic seizures.”
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that → be → seizures
The child was euthanised after the doctor sought another opinion from a doctor who concluded that the requirements for ending the child’s life had been met and the “unbearable suffering was clearly visible”.
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suffering → euthanise → life
The report concluded that the doctor made the correct assessment in euthanising the child.
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doctor → conclude → child
Doctors who perform euthanasia unlawfully in the Netherlands risk up to 12 years in prison, and could also face a fine.
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who → perform → fine
The Telegraph, London
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what → get → world
The Aporia
