Monday, June 15, 2020

Dutch doctor who euthanized woman with dementia, who resisted, says "just do it."

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The Netherlands Supreme Court recently approved the euthanasia death of an incompetent person with dementia who resisted at the time of death.


The woman with dementia, had stated in her power of attorney document that she would want to die by euthanasia rather than live in a care home. When the doctor came to inject her she resisted. The doctor tried to sedate the woman by putting drugs in her coffee but the woman continued to resist so the family held her down as the doctor injected her.

Marinou Arends
The Dutchnews.nl published parts of an interview that Marinou Arends gave Nieuwsuur television. Arends is the doctor who carried out the euthanasia death. Arends says that she would do it again and advised other doctors in similar situations to "just do it". The article states:
But although the woman repeatedly said she wanted to die, when asked directly, she would then say 'not yet'.

If you asked her: "What would you think if I were to help you die?", she would look at me bewildered and said: "That's going a bit far!"
Arends says that she asked the woman three times and each time she received a negative reply. She said without the confirmation she had to take this step and stated that even though it is good to get the confirmation, doctors should 'do it, just do it.'

Wesley Smith
Bioethicist, Wesley Smith, wrote that he didn't think it possible, but her wrongdoing is now even more apparent. Smith wrote:

The patient had said, while competent, that she would want euthanasia after becoming incompetent, but wanted to be the one to say when. She never did. But she wasn’t just silent on the question. The patient affirmatively told Arends that she did not want to be euthanized! Not once, not twice, but three times. 
Smith then quoted from the DutchNews.nl story:
Although it is not required by the letter of the law, doctors’ organisation the KNMG had considered it good practice to confirm that a dementia patient still wants euthanasia before the moment of death – even after all other strict requirements have been fulfilled. Concerns had been growing about what to do if someone was no longer mentally competent to make this decision, and the public prosecution said it brought a case against Arends to get more legal clarity. ‘It is good to get the confirmation: do it, just do it,’ acknowledged Arends, who said she had asked the patient three times and had a negative reply. ‘But I couldn’t get this confirmation, and without it I had to take this step. 
It was tremendously difficult, but for the best. I believed I was working within the boundaries of the law.’
The Dutch Supreme Court decision permits a doctor to lethally inject a person with dementia without confirming the final wishes of the person basing the euthanasia death on past statements.

The issue is that the woman with dementia resisted and said no. To say that it was acceptable for the doctor to kill this woman is the same as saying that someone with dementia cannot change their mind.

This decision opens the door to more euthanasia of people with dementia and more euthanasia without explicit consent.

More articles on this topic:


Read more at DutchNews.nl:
Marinou Arends, a retired geriatric doctor

Read more at DutchNews.nl:
Marinou Arends, a retired geriatric doctor

Read more at DutchNews.nl:
Marinou Arends, a retired geriatric doctor

Read more at DutchNews.nl:

6 comments:

whizzo said...

Clearly murder!

Mr & Mrs. L.Murray said...


We just read this, and are absolutely horrified. If this lady didn't want to be euthanized towards the end she shouldn't be.

We very upset this Doctor said just do it, and then instructed other Doctors to do it to. How horrible, and disgusting. People who have dementia etc, we SHOULD NOT BE getting them euthanized. To be honest that person has every right to live just like you or I. How would that Doctor like the same thing done to her? We don't believe she would. Euthanasia is not good or acceptable. We know that people have serious health issues, but sorry that shouldn't give medics the green light, to euthanize them..

Every soul is precious to Jesus, no matter who they are or what they believe.

sophie jensen said...

Again I make the point that people in Care Homes who have been diagnosed with dementia may well be suffering mostly from the effects of drugs - that is to say, they might have been over-medicated. So this patient might well have been able to make that decision as a logically-thinking person. One also has to challenge the definition of 'euthanasia'. Isn't it an 'easy death to relieve suffering'? I suppose it depends on the laws of the particular country, but to my mind at least it is not just a slippery slope but an exercise in confusion and misrepresentation. And one that can be manipulated to one's own ends.

thoughts from Canada. 2019 said...

It is very sad to see and hear how is rule is being used, pain comes in many forms. Loss of memory,extreme,slowly losing the use of our body functions and being mentally sick.So now come the big question, when do you ask someone would you like to be help to die? Which moment of this difficult time would you say yes or no? Today was a bad day, yes I would like to die, but a week latter I want to live. But you said you wanted to be helped to die! So die you must.
But Dr. that was last week. I'm sorry I have come to carry out your last request. But you can't do that, oh yes I can. Darkness comes in just a few seconds and life is over.
Take care for what you say or sign for, for you will receive it.
June 16th 2020 at 9.15 pm

Trisha said...

This situation demonstrates the abuse that surely will take place under people who have no conscience. Assisted suicide is not the answer, but the ability to show love allows all parties to grow in love and compassion. This is missing entirely and contributes to the socialist agenda for zero population growth. Reflect on this future - a world without compassion.

RV said...

Without any doubt, this was murder against the will of the victim. This doctor who murdered this innocent woman needs to repent and turn to Jesus Christ for salvation otherwise her end will be much worse than that of her victim(s).
The world is headed in the wrong direction, we all need to turn to Jesus Christ and repent for the sake of our souls.
When innocent lives are being destroyed and other so called "professionals" agree with it and encourage it, well then you have the same situation (mindset) like existed in Nazi Germany in WW2, which spread and was defeated at the cost of millions of innocent lives.
God help us all in Jesus.