Belgian doctor accused of five nursing home murders
A Belgian doctor has admitted killing five nursing home patients with injections of morphine, but insists that he did it out of compassion. The newspaper Het Nieuwsblad reported that the doctor, known only as Boudewijn D.W. had discussed what he was about to do with nursing staff and relatives. All five patients were suffering from dementia.
The nursing home reported the deaths to the police, as Belgium has legalised voluntary euthanasia, but not non-voluntary euthanasia. A request for death must come from the patient himself and the doctor must be certain that he is suffering from a terminal illness. A second doctor’s opinion is also needed.
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