Euthanasia is still a criminal offence in the Netherlands

BMJ 1995;310:1466 (3 June)

Letters

Euthanasia is still a criminal offence in the Netherlands

EDITOR,--Recently an act of euthanasia was performed in Hollandand publicly screened on Dutch and British television.¹ Theprogramme did not give the complete story about euthanasia inHolland, and your readers should be aware of the following points.

Firstly, euthanasia remains a criminal offence in the Netherlandsunder section 293 of their criminal code.

Secondly, despite attempted controls by the Dutch medical andlegal profession, over 1000 patients a year have their livesterminated without their specific consent. Unrequested non-voluntaryeuthanasia is creeping into Dutch medical practice--the "slipperyslope" described by moral philosophers.

Thirdly, the hospice system is almost non-existent in the Netherlands--thereare about 10 small hospices for a population of 14 million (Britainhas more than 200 hospices with over 300 inpatient beds fora population of 50 million).

Fourthly, the patient portrayed on this television programmehad a diagnosis of motor neurone disease, and most hospices. . . [Full text of this article]

Add to CiteULike CiteULike Add to Complore Complore Add to Connotea Connotea Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us Add to Digg Digg Add to Reddit Reddit Add to Technorati Technorati What's this?