PBS NewsHour recently published a feature which explores Belgium’s liberal euthanasia law. The NewsHour segment is available on their website.
Read more about Belgium’s euthanasia law and children in Time Magazine.
Belgium has permitted euthanasia since 2012 but it wasn’t until February 2014 that the age limit was lifted, allowing children the right to request the procedure. It its this element of the law which makes it extremely controversial.
Belgium has the world’s most liberal law on physician-assisted suicide, which is not just for the terminally ill. Patients with psychiatric conditions – and now, even children – can request euthanasia. Surveys in Belgium show overwhelming public support, and many doctors say it gives patients with constant and unbearable suffering a practical and humane way to die peacefully. But even in a country with a far-reaching acceptance, controversy still exists. NewsHour’s Megan Thompson reports.
Read the full story: The right to die in Belgium (includes PBS video).
