The coalition cabinet of Prime Minister Mark Rutte has been discussing such a possibility for many months, and the matter has met with strong opposition from Christian-oriented parties. The decision was not made until Tuesday, the parliament should discuss the matter for the first time on Thursday.
–
“The study showed that there is a need between doctors and parents to intentionally end the lives of terminally ill children who suffer desperately and painfully and will die in the near future,” Minister de Jonge wrote in a letter to parliament quoted by AFP.
–
Euthanasia is legal in the Netherlands for children over the age of 12 who can give consent and for children under one year with parental consent. However, there is no legislation for children from one year to 12 years old. There is no consensus among local authorities on whether children at this age are able to make similar decisions.
–
The Netherlands and neighboring Belgium were the first countries in the world to legalize euthanasia in 2002. Belgium then became the first country to allow voluntary euthanasia of children in 2014, followed by the Netherlands.
—
