Netherlands euthanasia death of 17-year-old criticised

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

The DutchNewsNL reported that the Dutch federation of doctors (KNMG) rebuked 14 psychiatrists for sending a letter to urge the prosecution office to investigate the euthanasia death of a 17-year-old.

The DutchNewsNL reported that:

The case revolves around Milou, who had suffered from depression, anxiety and suicidal thoughts from the age of 11 following sexual abuse. She was again sexually abused in an institution by another patient.

After years of treatment and various suicide attempts, she chose euthanasia at the age of 17 on the grounds of unbearable mental suffering.

The letter from the 14 psychiatrists that asked the prosecution office to investigate the euthanasia death stated:

However, prominent psychiatrists disagreed and wrote to the public prosecution office, questioning the right of a minor to opt for euthanasia and whether it is right to assume that mental suffering cannot be cured.

In the letter they mention the “widespread promotion of euthanasia” which in their opinion could lead to “the unnecessary death” of young patients.

The DutchNewsNL also reported that:

Professor of psychiatry Damiaan Denys, who signed the letter to the public prosecution office, said the KNMG’s reaction was “unnecessary, unwise and late”, but admitted the letter may not have been the best way of calling attention to “the ease with which euthanasia is mentioned for young people with mental problems”

Since oversight of the Netherlands euthanasia law is based on an after the death reporting system, there has been almost no investigations by the prosecution office into controversial euthanasia deaths.

The KNMG should have stayed out of this issue. Urging the prosecution office to investigate a controversial euthanasia death should be welcome based on assuring that the law is being properly followed. These are questions of life and death.

Scotland's assisted suicide bill will die a natural death.

Alex Schadenberg
Executive Director, Euthanasia Prevention Coalition

On March 28, 2024, Liam McArthur (LibDem) MSP introduced the Assisted Dying for the Terminally Ill bill that was expected to receive its first debate sometime this fall in Scotland's legislature (Holyrood).

On October 1, 2024 Scottish Health Secretary, Neil Gray said that Liam McArthur’s Assisted Dying for Terminally Ill Adults (Scotland) Bill was “outside the legislative competence.” Therefore, McArthur's assisted suicide bill will die because sections of the bill are outside of the jurisdiction of Scotland's legislature.

Simon Johnson reported for the Telegraph that:

In a memo to the Scottish Parliament’s health committee, he said the Bill’s proposal that ministers specify which drugs can be used to end people’s lives related to Westminster’s powers over “medicines, medical supplies and poisons”.

The document also warned that the legislation’s plan to shift the role of medics from “protecting/enhancing patients’ lives to assisting in termination of life” could change reserved UK regulation of health professionals.

The memo argued that “further processes” would have to be gone through to bring the Bill within Holyrood’s competence.

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour Party, has been a long-time promoter of assisted suicide. During the election Starmer promised that he would introduce a bill and allow a free-vote on legalizing assisted suicide in the UK. The July 4 election resulted in the Labour Party winning a massive majority with 411 out of 650 parliamentary seats.

After the election BBC news reported that Starmer reiterated his support for assisted suicide and promised a free-vote within the year.

It is likely that Scotland will not consider an assisted suicide bill until after London (Westminster) has debated the issue.

More information on this topic:

• Scotland's deceptive euthanasia bill redefines terminal illness to include people with disabilities (Link).

Euthanasia advocates have an ideology of illogical ideas.

Meghan Schrader

By Meghan Schrader

Meghan is an autistic person who is an instructor at E4 - University of Texas (Austin) and an EPC-USA board member.

The world’s most ardent euthanasia advocates have built an ideology based on totally illogical ideas; like the premise that it’s not bigoted to kill members of a disenfranchised group because they are members of that group. Or, the idea that voluntary euthanasia is not suicide, no matter how permissive the euthanasia program is. Or the proposition that euthanizing homeless people is compassionate rather than bullying and nihilistic. 

The leaders of "Euthanasia Land" like to make up their own facts. I think that this behavior shows what can happen when a person lives their entire life in an upper middle class, able-bodied academic bubble. Such people are used to having their ideas accepted as facts, so they feel free to construct blantantly false narratives.

Perhaps one of the most egregious offenders in this regard is euthanasia advocate James Downar. He seems to like to make up his own facts the way some people like to write poetry or paint.

In August of 2024 Downar posted something on X about euthanasia opponents that is laughably nonsensical. He posted, 

“Worse from my perspective is the rash of "advocacy" groups who only seem focused on blocking MAID laws, but are largely silent on the policy issues that actually affect the health of PWDs and the chronically ill (social supports, vaccines).Curious agenda.”

The absurdity and arrogance of that statement is truly breathtaking. Yes, James Downar, all the disability justice euthanasia opponents-those of us who have published articles in the field of disability studies, those of us who have published books about disability justice, those of us we who have been arrested at demonstrations for care attendant services, those of us working as disability justice attorneys, we who are special education teachers, those of us working to advance the condition of BIPOC people with disabilities, those of us who have spoken to the United Nations about disability rights, we who are disabled and bear the daily brunt of systemic ableism-somehow have done nothing to achieve a better world for people with disabilities. But you, James Downar, an ablebodied, affluent euthanasia devotee, are a disability justice sage!

That’s a totally illogical premise, and Downar is quite bold to articulate such canards. It’s like someone looking at the sky on a clear day and saying that the sky is green. I think this behavior is probably the result of being a wealthy and powerful person: James Downar is used to other powerful people heaping praise on him; which gives him a sense of permission to make fallacious claims.

But, Downar’s propensity to espouse fabrications about the disability rights movement isn’t ethically defensible, and he isn’t actually entitled to attack disability justice advocates with lies while virtue signaling about what a fine upstanding social justice warrior he is.