IN BRIEF: mercy killing; bad news; confidentiality
Australian mercy killing: Parents who killed their 28-year-old severely disabled son have been placed on a five-year good behaviour bond after pleading guilty. Their child, Matthew, was born blind and had limited hearing. Margaret and Raymond Sutton acted after they learned that he needed an operation which would also take away his ability to hear, taste and speak. A pro-life spokesman denounced the lack of support for the couple’s emotional, psychological and physical needs. Euthanasia campaigner Philip Nitschke said that the case should not have come to trial at all.
Michael Cook edits BioEdge, a bioethics newsletter, and MercatorNet, an on-line magazine whose focus is human dignity. He writes from Sydney, Australia.
Latest posts by Michael Cook (see all)
- 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
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