Belgium Discusses Legalizing Euthanasia for Terminally Ill Children

Protesting the bill.
(Credit: npr.org)

When we discuss what it means to “die a good death,” the question of how we plan our end of life becomes controversial when we broach the topic of whether or not we have the right to decide when we die. Discussing euthanasia sparks a touchy conversation that can overlap areas such as human rights, philosophy and religion – and when we consider euthanasia for terminally ill children, the debate grows even more heated. It’s one of the most sensitive topics under the end of life umbrella.

Belgium: the first country to legally euthanize terminally ill children?
(Credit: concordmonitor.com)

Nevertheless, just a few weeks ago, Belgium faced the topic head-on by passing a bill to legalize euthanasia for terminally ill children. The bill passed by a wide margin, and members of parliament predict that “10 to 15 gravely ill Belgian children annually will invoke the law and ask to die.”

Protesting the bill.
(Credit: guardianlv.com)

“Belgium legalized euthanasia in 2002 for those 18 and over,” said NPR in a recent podcast, “and the number of adults choosing a doctor-assisted death has been rising annually, reaching 1,432 in 2012.”

Belgium would be the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia for terminally ill children. Of course, the child’s decision would become a family affair, as his or her parents and doctors would have to be in agreement. But many protestors say children have no concept of how to make a mature life decision, let alone one of the most consequential decisions of our lives: how we die.

Euthanasia: a sensitive topic for all.
(Credit: dw.de)

“Belgium would be the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia for terminally ill children.”

“They can’t [legally] drink before they’re 16. They can’t smoke before they’re 16. They can’t vote before they’re 18. They can’t marry before they’re 18. They can’t be punished because they don’t have the competence,” said Els Van Hoof, a senator with the Flemish Christian Democratic party in opposition of the bill, “But when they talk about life and death, they can decide? It’s not coherent.”

What do you think about the concept of euthanasia for terminally ill children in Belgium? We look forward to your comments below.

You may enjoy:

• A debate-based site that weighs the arguments for and against Euthanasia
• The BBC’s discussion of euthanasia
• SevenPonds’ article, “The Afterlife Euthanasia Device”