Tuesday, September 21, 2004
Child autonomy: abortion today, euthanasia tomorrow?In the wake of news that a Dutch hospital has written a
protocol to allow the involuntary euthanasia of children, one of the authors has defended his policy. Dr Eduard Verhagen, of
Groningen University Hospital, told the Spanish newspaper ABC that
about 20 children are euthanased each year already, even though this is officially against the law. Of these, only two or three are reported to a local coroner.
Under the new guidelines, which were developed in concert with the Ministry of Justice, doctors are to report all cases of child euthanasia and the government will process them as quickly as possible. This will give doctors reassurance that they
will not be accused of murder. Ultimately, says Dr Verhagen, his
goal is to see child euthanasia after consultation with an expert
committee legalised.
Why is this necessary? Children suffer as much as adults, answers Dr Verhagen, and should enjoy the same benefits offered by Dutch law to adults. "Parents already have legal authority to decide everything for a child, bar one -- life and death. Here we are faced with a problem which has no solution: a child who is suffering terribly, even more than an adult; the doctors can do nothing to alleviate it and the child cannot express himself legally. What should we do?"
BMJ.com, Sept 11; ABC (Madrid),
Sept 2
What an Alice-in-Wonderland world we inhabit. Involuntary euthanasia is a benefit for children? In New Zealand, a school has to get a parent's permission to give a child an aspirin, but a school counsellor can whisk the same child off to have an abortion without the parent knowing. If today the child can decide autonomously to have an abortion, how soon before she can decide to get a euthanasia injection from the nice doctor, too.
protocol to allow the involuntary euthanasia of children, one of the authors has defended his policy. Dr Eduard Verhagen, of
Groningen University Hospital, told the Spanish newspaper ABC that
about 20 children are euthanased each year already, even though this is officially against the law. Of these, only two or three are reported to a local coroner.
Under the new guidelines, which were developed in concert with the Ministry of Justice, doctors are to report all cases of child euthanasia and the government will process them as quickly as possible. This will give doctors reassurance that they
will not be accused of murder. Ultimately, says Dr Verhagen, his
goal is to see child euthanasia after consultation with an expert
committee legalised.
Why is this necessary? Children suffer as much as adults, answers Dr Verhagen, and should enjoy the same benefits offered by Dutch law to adults. "Parents already have legal authority to decide everything for a child, bar one -- life and death. Here we are faced with a problem which has no solution: a child who is suffering terribly, even more than an adult; the doctors can do nothing to alleviate it and the child cannot express himself legally. What should we do?"
BMJ.com, Sept 11; ABC (Madrid),
Sept 2
What an Alice-in-Wonderland world we inhabit. Involuntary euthanasia is a benefit for children? In New Zealand, a school has to get a parent's permission to give a child an aspirin, but a school counsellor can whisk the same child off to have an abortion without the parent knowing. If today the child can decide autonomously to have an abortion, how soon before she can decide to get a euthanasia injection from the nice doctor, too.
