Euthanasia Prevention Coalition – 5 February 2021 – Alex Schadenberg
Family First Comment: Belgium’s experience warns us of what is likely to happen here:
“The study points out that there is a yearly increase in the number of euthanasia deaths, but the number of actual euthanasia deaths is unknown due to high percentage of unreported euthanasia deaths… Euthanasia has become more common for people over the age of 80 who live in nursing homes.… All people should be concerned about how the legal requirements of the euthanasia law that are intended to operate as safeguards and procedural guarantees in reality often fail to operate.”
Disturbing.
A study by Belgian researchers and published in the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy on January 25, 2021, examines the practise of euthanasia in Belgium and concludes that legal requirements are being undermined and safeguards ignored. The study concludes that:
there are shortcomings in the Belgian euthanasia law, the application of that law, and the monitoring of euthanasia practice. This leads us to conclude that several of these shortcomings are structural and thus require more than simply increased oversight.
The study was conducted by Kasper Raus, Bert Vanderhaegen and Sigrid Sterckx from Ghent University and examines the official Belgian euthanasia data within the context of other studies that examine the application of the Belgian euthanasia law. This study is done by Belgian researchers who have been examining the Belgian euthanasia data for many years. One may disagree with the conclusion of the study but the data is impeccable.
Looking at key issues.
The study points out that since euthanasia was legalized in 2002 in Belgium, the debate on the issue has continued. There has been several legislative proposals to change the law since 2002. The study states:
All but two proposed amendments were voted down. The Euthanasia Law was first amended in 2005 to provide legal protection for pharmacists dispensing the lethal medication for the performance of euthanasia (Law of 10 November 2005). In 2014, the Euthanasia Law was amended again, this time to allow euthanasia for minors who are judged to have “capacity for discernment,” without setting an age limit (Law of 28 February 2014).
The study points out that there is a yearly increase in the number of euthanasia deaths, but the number of actual euthanasia deaths is unknown due to high percentage of unreported euthanasia deaths.
READ MORE: http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2021/02/study-belgian-euthanasia-law-is-out-of.html
