They continue to peddle myths: that pain and suffering are the reasons for extending their euthanasia law to children of any age; that children of any age can have the ‘capacity for discernment’ which allows them to not only understand death but to ask for it; that a child can be an ‘emancipated minor’ (though not all of course).
Already in 1994 research* showed that in only 5% of cases was pain the reason for someone seeking to die. In the 20 years since palliative medicine has become a new discipline, and any good palliative care doctor will now say they can always help someone with pain relief. The most extreme cases may benefit from palliative sedation, but they are very rare. (* Heintz, A P M (1994) ‘Euthanasia can be part of good terminal care’ British Medical Journal vol 308, p1656)
So why this rush to law in Belgium?
The proposed extension of euthanasia law in Belgium is fatally flawed – flawed fatally for those young children.
The law says that children will be able to request euthanasia when they have ‘capacity for discernment’ – it does not say how that can truly be assessed. What can this capacity be in children, who do not usually even form a concept of death until around the age of 7 let alone understand it? This ‘capacity’ does not take account of a 9 year-old will is influenced by watching her parents’ suffering, watching her being ill.
The law also says the extension of euthanasia will be to ‘emancipated minors’ but it does even begin to say what this emancipation looks like. Nor what will happen to those who are not judged to be emancipated.
Even if one child might be exceptionally mature, the vast majority cannot be – that is the definition of ‘child’.
How can a child then ask for euthanasia in fully-informed manner? This is how corrupt the moral landscape in Belgium has become – most chillingly because they call it ‘care’!
One Belgian government adviser patronizingly told me: ‘You’d be surprised how mature a 12 year old can be’. I’ve had three 12 year olds and spent a lot of time with them and their friends; I was a twelve year old myself.
Another, in Brussels last November, admitted clearly that there are problems with the euthanasia law as it currently operates in Belgium for adults – almost half (47%) of euthanasia deaths are not reported – illegal; nurses are involved in killing people – illegal; people with dementia are being killed – illegal (no proper consent).
We have previously pointed out that a man, born a woman, was euthanized last year after botched sex-change operations; deaf twins going blind were euthanized as was an anorexic woman was killed after she was sexually abused by the psychiatrist who was supposed to be treating her.
(Dr) Tom Mortier’s mother was killed, having had to pay for the ‘privilege’, even though she had been diagnosed as depressed, had no other illness and was not terminally ill.
The Belgian advisers have admitted they introduced their euthanasia law for disabled people!
It is not safe to be disabled in Belgium which has been described as a human rights catastrophe because they have no services for supporting disabled people – so this one ‘choice’ that is left to the desperate is an illusion – euthanasia in Belgium is not a choice it is the end of choices in life. It is not safe for anybody…
This is the mentality of government advisers in Belgium, where the leading man doing euthanasia is also president of the commission supposed to oversee and regulate the practice. His commission has never once prosecuted any of the cases in the 53% reported. He is the one whom Tom Mortier’s mum paid to kill her.
This is another flagrant corruption in the moral life of Belgium. It reflects another, in Australia, where the doctor who will kill you, also wants to sell you the means to do it yourself. It is like that Swiss clinic which refuses to reveal how much money it makes of the deaths of sad, frightened and bereft disabled people.
And now children and young people will die legally (it has already been admitted they were being euthanized, illegally).
These are the innocent victims of adult folly and moral corruption.