Dutch activist found guilty of assisting a suicide
In the latest instalment of a long-running case, the former head of the Dutch Voluntary Life Foundation (Stichting Vrijwillig Leven) has been found guilty of assisting in a suicide.
In the latest instalment of a long-running case, the former head of the Dutch Voluntary Life Foundation (Stichting Vrijwillig Leven) has been found guilty of assisting in a suicide. Although euthanasia and assisted suicide are legal in the Netherlands, there are some conditions and Gerard Schellekens, now 75, breached them when he counselled and then helped an 80-year-old woman to die in 2007. However, the court has given him a suspended sentence of 12 months in view of his bad health.
The doctors of the woman, who had Parkinson’s disease, had refused to help her die, so Schellekens, who is not a doctor, became involved. The court declared that he might have acted with a clear conscience and the best of intentions, but clearly outside the existing legal framework.
Mr Schellekens is considering an appeal to the Supreme Court of the Netherlands. ~ Medisch Contakt, Feb 24
Michael Cook
assisted suicide
Netherlands
- How long can you put off seeing the doctor because of lockdowns? - December 3, 2021
- House of Lords debates assisted suicide—again - October 28, 2021
- Spanish government tries to restrict conscientious objection - October 28, 2021
More Stories
Euthanasia makes clean sweep of Australian states
The Australian state of New South Wales legalised euthanasia and assisted suicide last week. Members of the Upper House supported...
Is eco-anxiety grounds for euthanasia?
Vancouver man Howard Breen, 68, has applied for Medical Aid in Dying, Canada’s pathway to legal euthanasia. He is not...
Former Archbishop of Canterbury promotes euthanasia in Australia
The former Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury, George Carey, has sent a message to the Parliament of the Australian state of...
Is it futile to defend the Texas ‘futile care’ law?
In October 2019, an ethics committee at Cook Children's Medical Center, in Fort Worth, Texas, voted unanimously to end treatment...
Longevity does not always work in your favour in the UK
“Dying patients living longer than expected lose NHS funds” was the BBC headline. The NHS is the UK’s government health...
House of Lords votes down another assisted dying proposal
This week the House of Lords in the UK voted down an unusual amendment to a Health and Care Bill...