More than 40% of Belgian euthanasia deaths were not reported in 2013.

By Alex Schadenberg
International Chair - Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) published  a new study concerning the Belgium euthanasia experience titled: Recent Trends in Euthanasia and Other End-of-Life Practices in Belgium.

Similar to previous studies, researchers sent a questionnaire to 6188 physicians who had certified death certificates in the first six months of 2013 in Flanders. There were 3751 returned questionnaires representing a 60.6% response rate. The data represents about 6% of all deaths in 2013.

The data in the study indicates that:

1. 4.6% of all deaths were euthanasia. There were 61,621 total death in 2013.
2. .05% of all deaths were assisted suicide.
3. 76.8% of the requests for euthanasia or assisted suicide were granted.
4. 1.7% of all deaths were hastened without explicit request.

With help from a Belgian researcher I learned that in 2013 there were 61,621 total deaths in Flanders Belgium. Since the data from the study indicated that 4.6% of all deaths were euthanasia, therefore there were approximately 2834 assisted deaths in Flanders in 2013.

The data did not include information concerning the number of unreported euthanasia deaths.

Since the official Belgian euthanasia report states that there were 1807 reported assisted deaths in Belgium, of which, 1454 were in the Flanders region, therefore approximately 1380 assisted deaths were not reported in Flanders Belgium in 2013.

Last year, Dr Marc Cosyns, a Belgian euthanasia doctor, admitted that he does not report his euthanasia deaths.

This means that more than 40% of all euthanasia deaths were not reported in Flanders in 2013.

The study also found that 1.7% of all deaths were hastened without explicit request. Since there were 61,621 deaths in Flanders, therefore approximately 1047 deaths may have been hastened without explicit request in Flanders Belgium in 2013.

The recent Supreme Court of Canada assisted death decision suggested that abuse of euthanasia laws in other jurisdictions was only anecdotal. Canada needs a Royal Commission to set the record straight. 

Euthanasia is out-of-control in Belgium.

To learn more about the abuse and extension of euthanasia in the Netherlands and Belgium purchase my book: Exposing Vulnerable People to Euthanasia and Assisted Suicide.

• New study: Euthanasia represents 4.6% of all deaths in Flanders Belgium in 2013, deaths without patient request continue.
• More than 1000 deaths may have been hastened  without explicit request in 2013 in Belgium.
• Belgium euthanasia deaths increase by 26% in 2013.
• Belgian doctor admits to not reporting euthansia deaths.
• Belgian euthanasia promoter admits to problems with the euthanasia law.