MADRID, 14 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Netherlands has announced this Friday that it will implement new legislation to extend euthanasia to minors up to 12 years of age who suffer from terminal illnesses and who have pain described as “unbearable”.
“The end of life is the only viable option to end the desperate and unbearable suffering of the child,” said the Dutch Minister of Health, Ernst Kuipers, as reported by the news portal Het Parool.
The measure, which could enter into force at the end of this year, has been taken by the Dutch cabinet and has been presented as an alternative, in cases of very serious illnesses, to the administration of sedatives in children under 12 years of age or even to suspension of medication when palliative care is not enough.
The Netherlands was the first State to legalize euthanasia, in 2002, a law that allows the termination of life in adults and children over 12 years of age, although it does not have legislation to alleviate the pain of minors with diseases terminals.