Belgian Senate committee approved doctors killing children with disabilities.

Alex Schadenberg

By Alex Schadenberg, 
International Chair, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

CNN news reported has reported that a Belgian Senate Committee has supported a bill to extend euthanasia to children with disabilities.

The report indicates that the bill will now be brought before the Belgian Senate, and if passed by the Senate it would be brought before the Belgian Chamber of Deputies.

The CNN article stated:

A controversial bill that would extend the right to request euthanasia to children suffering terminal illnesses and adults with dementia cleared a vote in a Belgian Senate committee Wednesday. 

The panel voted 13-4 to allow minors to seek euthanasia under certain conditions, the communications director for the Senate, Patrick Peremans, told CNN. 

The vote is one stage in a legislative process -- the bill must clear other hurdles before it becomes law. 

The bill will now be introduced in the Senate, where it will be debated in a plenary meeting by all senators, Peremans said. If the bill is voted against, this would mean the end of the measure. 

If it passes, the bill would then be transferred to the House of Representatives for debate. If approved there, it would go to the king to be signed into law.

The Euthanasia Prevention Coalition is asking people to protest the Belgium government child euthanasia plan by sending emails to the Belgian government authorities who are responsible for this bill.

Two weeks ago the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition (EPC) - Europe was launched with a press conference and euthanasia debate in Brussels Belgium. During the debate, Dr Jan Bernheim, long-time promoter of euthanasia in Belgium, admitted that there are problems with the Belgium euthanasia law. 

During the question and answer session, after the debate, Professor Etienne Vermeersch stated that the Belgian euthanasia law was specifically designed for people with disabilities, who are not terminally ill.

Quebec is currently debating Bill 52, a bill that uses the same definitions as the Belgium euthanasia law. Quebec's Bill 52 is a bad bill.

Links to similar articles:
Belgian Senate to vote on a bill to extend euthanasia to children with disabilities and people with dementia.
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Belgian bill would extend euthanasia to children with disabilities and people with dementia.