Euthanasia causes controversy in the Netherlands

[Baluarte]

The subject of euthanasia is causing a religious war of words in Holland. The conflict has arisen with regards to patients with dementia, whose euthanasia is currently regulated by existing laws, which state that the voluntary request for euthanasia must be made before the person has developed the disease. Care must be taken to make clear that the patient believed that his or her life without awareness and independence would be unacceptable. However, this is where opinions diverge, because public structures tend to avoid the practice of euthanasia, so as not to infringe the law. This has resulted in more Dutch citizens being refused end-of-life treatment by the public healthcare system and having to turn to a private ‘death clinic’, or Leveneindekliniek. It’s no coincidence that between 70-80% of the 714 requests received by the clinic in 2011 were from citizens with varying levels of dementia. The first case is from January 2013 and represented a controversial precedent for the government. Health minister Edith Schippers admitted last Friday in parliament that euthanasia, in cases of dementia and psychological problems, is ‘much more complex and should be looked at’.

[The Lawspeaker]

Source ?

[Baluarte]

http://www.west-info.eu/euthanasia-c...e-netherlands/

[The Lawspeaker]

I haven't heard from this website but for as far I know euthanasia has been enshrined into law (basically it is still officially illegal but it is considered a victimless crime so no one is charged - since 2002 under the Wet-Toetsing levensbeëindiging op verzoek en hulp bij zelfdoding). However some doctors refuse to participate in the procedure. There is, as such, no religious war of words as religious institutions have become superfluous and pretty much powerless.

The text of the full law: http://wetten.overheid.nl/BWBR001241...tum_24-05-2013