Category: Belgium

Elderly couple to die together by assisted suicide even though they are not ill

Daily Mail

Simon Caldwell

An elderly husband and wife have announced their plans to die in the world’s first ‘couple’ euthanasia – despite neither of them being terminally ill.

Instead the pair fear loneliness if the other one dies first from natural causes.

Identified only by their first names, Francis, 89, and Anne, 86, they have the support of their three adult children who say they would be unable to care for either parent if they became widowed

The children have even gone so far as to find a practitioner willing to carry out the double killings on the grounds that the couple’s mental anguish constituted the unbearable suffering needed to legally justify euthanasia.

The couple, from Brussels, are receiving regular medical treatment for age-related ailments.

Francis has received treatment for prostate cancer for 20 years and is unable to spend a day without morphine and Anne is partially blind and almost totally deaf.

They always go out shopping together because they are both scared that one day the other will not return home.

They decided that life in a care home was not an option because of their fear they would end up bedridden without the strength to insist on euthanasia. . [Full text]

Serial murderer and rapist, 50, given right to die under controversial Belgian euthanasia laws

Daily Mail

Peter Allen

A serial murderer and rapist has been given the right to end his life under controversial Belgian euthanasia laws, it has emerged.

Frank Van Den Bleeken, 50, has been behind bars for 30 years and has no hope of release because of his intensely violent urges.

Now judges in Brussels have agreed that Van Den Bleeken can commit suicide with the help of medics.

Jos Vander Velpen, the prisoner’s lawyer, said: ‘Over recent years, he has been seen by several doctors and psychologists and their conclusion is that he is suffering, and suffering unbearably.’ . . . [Full text]

Murderer in non-capital punishment Belgium granted request to die

 Reuters

Robert-Jan Bartunek

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – A Belgian murderer and rapist serving a life sentence is to be allowed to have doctors end his life following a ground-breaking ruling under laws in Belgium permitting people to request euthanasia.

Frank Van Den Bleeken had argued that he had no prospect of release since he could not overcome his violent sexual impulses and so he wanted to exercise his right to medically assisted suicide in order to end years of mental anguish. [Full text]

Belgium extends euthanasia to children

By a vote of 86-44, the Belgian House of Representatives has approved a bill to extend euthanasia to children.  The bill had previously passed the Belgian Senate.  The law will apply to children who have a terminal and incurable illness, are near death, and suffering “constant and unbearable physical” pain.  Parents and health care professionals must agree, and a paediatric psychiatrist or psychologist must certify that the child has the capacity to discern that being killed is the ‘best choice.’ [The Guardian]