Children's charities call for child euthanasia in Scotland.

This article was originally published in the HOPE Australia blog.

The Daily Mail in Scotland has a front page article claiming that Scottish Children’s Charities have called for the inclusion of euthanasia for children to be included in the reach of the euthanasia bill under debate in Holyrood (Scottish Parliament).

One group has apparently called for the revision of the extant lower age limit in the bill of 16 years of age if the bill passes into law. No slippery slope eh?

The article cites an unnamed representative of Care Not Killing as saying: 

“Right-minded people will be baffled that such an idea can be advanced, not least from one organisation purporting to represent the interests of children. 

“Such a monstrous idea should be unthinkable.”

This comes after Belgium passed child euthanasia into law in February this year. This new law, which included consent provisions, was later trumped by the Belgian association of Intensive Care Specialists who have claimed the right to decide who gets euthanased to themselves – regardless of consent or not.

One would have thought that this latest leap off the moral precipice in Belgium would have sane observers recoiling and euthanasia advocates in retreat. Not so. For the most part they have been silent – which seems to me to indicate consent. But there have been some who have openly supported the concept – including now in Scotland.

A group of Childrens’ charities submitting under the name: Together, made the observation that, Terminal illnesses do not discriminate based on the age of a person. This is, of course, uncontroversial. And whilst every sane person should be outraged that children should have access to euthanasia, it is nevertheless logical that it should be so, on the basis of equity and non-discrimination.

These charities need to question their primary motivation and raison d’etre just as their donors need to question their priorities. But to be outraged at child euthanasia or any of the other incremental extensions that have occurred in countries like Belgium without considering the reality that allowing doctors to kill their patients is the catalyst for such developments is illogical and dangerous.

No, child euthanasia is not in the best interests of children, nor is euthanasia law in the best interest of society.