BELGIUM: Belgian parliament debates legalising euthanasia for terminally ill children

Record ID: 174095

  • Title: BELGIUM: Belgian parliament debates legalising euthanasia for terminally ill children
  • Date: 12th February 2014
  • Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (FEBRUARY 12, 2014) (REUTERS) BELGIAN AND EUROPEAN UNION (EU) FLAGS OUTSIDE BELGIAN PARLIAMENT BELGIAN FLAG SCULPTURE ABOVE MAIN PARLIAMENT ENTRANCE MPS DEBATING CHILD EUTHANASIA RIGHTS IN LOWER HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT'S HEMICYCLE SCREEN DISPLAYING INFORMATION ON ONGOING DEBATE / PRO CHILD EUTHANASIA RIGHTS SOCIALIST MP KARINE LALIEUX ADDRESSING CHAMBER MPS DURING DEBATE CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT MP CATHERINE FONCK ADDRESSING OPPONENT LALIEUX MPS APPLAUDING AS LALIEUX LEAVES FLOOR (SOUNDBITE) (French) PRO CHILD EUTHANASIA RIGHTS SOCIALIST MP, KARINE LALIEUX, SAYING: "It's not a matter of saying there are good and bad countries, good and bad parents, some are pro-life, some are pro-death. It's about extremely complex situations and here we try to provide a framework for situations that actually exist in practise, to give children rights and freedom of choice, to give parents freedom and safety, and to give the medical corps the law they are also asking for." OPPONENT TO CHILD EUTHANASIA RIGHTS FLEMISH CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT MP SONJA BECQ TAKING FLOOR VARIOUS OF BECQ ADDRESSING CHAMBER MPS APPLAUDING DURING BECQ'S ADDRESS BECQ SPEAKING TO REPORTER (SOUNDBITE) (Dutch) OPPONENT TO CHILD EUTHANASIA RIGHTS FLEMISH CHRISTIAN DEMOCRAT MP, SONJA BECQ, SAYING: "We have in Belgium a law for palliative care to support children through their suffering, alleviate their pain, in which doctors are heavily involved. We are one of the best, so there are alternatives to euthanasia, this is a very important issue to us. Secondly, we have a lot of questions on the notion of 'autonomous decision making', the competence of children to decide and autonomously ask for euthanasia. Children, just as adults, are influenceable by those around them, we can ask ourselves whether children have enough awareness of what dying means, that it is irreversible, that you can't go back." MPS IN HEMICYCLE DURING DEBATE MPS TALKING MP LEAVING FLOOR VOTING SCREEN
  • Embargoed: 27th February 2014 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Belgium
  • Country: Belgium
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA60GPH0HRW20QGLYAQQ4Y6L0RO
  • Story Text: A child euthanasia debate divided Belgian parliamentarians on Wednesday (February 12) ahead of Thursday's (February 13) vote expected to legalise the right to grant euthanasia for terminally ill children, making Belgium the first country in the world to remove the age limit for the procedure.
    The lower house of parliament is set to back the law with a majority after what is almost a universal taboo was broken last December when the country's Senate approved it by a 50-17 vote.
    In Belgium, a child seeking euthanasia would need to be assessed by a psychologist, a requirement that would effectively rule out the very young. Parents would also have to approve their child's decision.
    Backers of the vote believe the new law is necessary to provide a legal framework to requests, but opponents said a child is unable to decide on life and death, and fear for a slippery slope or even wider interpretations.
    Socialist Karine Lalieux told Reuters Television the law would not force anyone to opt for euthanasia but rather give those who want a merciful end to suffering the right to do so within a legal framework.
    "It's not a matter of saying there are good and bad countries, good and bad parents, some are pro-life, some are pro-death. It's about extremely complex situations and here we try to provide a framework for situations that actually exist in practise, to give children rights and freedom of choice, to give parents freedom and safety, and to give the medical corps the law they are also asking for," Lalieux said.
    Neighbouring Holland already allows euthanasia for children as young as 12 years, although only five cases have been recorded since 2002, only one of them under 16. Belgium would go further by removing any reference in its law to the age of the child.
    The Belgian law instead would require a psychologist evaluate the child's ability to choose to die. But opponents said it is impossible to determine whether a child is able to take such a decision.
    Christian Democrat Sonja Becq, whose party is opposed to the new law, accused pro MPs of ignoring medical and ethical concerns. She also said the vote had been rushed and insisted the legislation is unnecessary at a time when the medical expertise around alleviating pain is highly-developed and widespread in Belgium.
    "We have in Belgium a law for palliative care to support children through their suffering, alleviate their pain, in which doctors are heavily involved. We are one of the best, so there are alternatives to euthanasia, this is a very important issue to us. Secondly, we have a lot of questions on the notion of 'autonomous decision making', the competence of children to decide and autonomously ask for euthanasia. Children, just as adults, are influenceable by those around them, we can ask ourselves whether children have enough awareness of what dying means, that it is irreversible, that you can't go back," Becq said.
    Belgium is already one of the world's most liberal countries when it comes to euthanasia, making it available to adults who are not terminally ill.
    The country's rules on euthanasia came under international scrutiny last year after the case of deaf twin brothers who were about to turn blind were granted the right to die. Also in the case of a transgender person given the right to die after an unsuccessful sex change operation.
    The new law does state children seeking euthanasia would have to be terminally ill.
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