Non-motoring > Euthanasia for children Miscellaneous
Thread Author: Crankcase Replies: 9

 Euthanasia for children - Crankcase
Euthanasia for children - Belgium passed a law yesterday allowing it, in certain pretty restricted circumstances. There is no age limitation at all, although to fulfil the terms allowable "A child must be considered to be aware of the concept and finality of euthanasia...".

Would/could it ever happen here?


www.thealmagest.com/children-euthanasia-allowed-belgium-age-restrictions-apply/10155
 Euthanasia for children - Bromptonaut
Since we cannot manage to pass Lord Falconer's assisted dying bill the chances of anything like this here are remote in the extreme.

Although there's no age limitation the criteria are such that they're unlikely to be meet by anyone not into their teens. The Belgian Parliament appears to have accepted a capacity based test rather than use age which will produce hard cases both ways.

According to the linked article Holland has similar legislation but with an age limit of 12.
 Euthanasia for children - Cliff Pope
>>The Belgian Parliament appears to have accepted a capacity
>> based test

Does that mean the capacity of the child or the capacity of the person or court having responsibility for the "best interests of the child" ?

They can already force children or people of limited capacity to have operations etc if a court judges it in their best interests. Isn't there a thin edge of a wedge here?
 Euthanasia for children - zippy
>>Isn't there a thin edge of a wedge here?

Given our social services seem to like forcing people in to operations they don't want or agree to (Italian woman forced to have a caesarean), then your comment may be spot on.

Personally it is something that I find horific. Taking a life just doesn't seem right in these circumstances, but then I am not the one suffering.
 Euthanasia for children - Robin O'Reliant
What would worry me about euthanasia is the ratchet effect.

"The option is there if you Really feel you can't go on".

"Have you considered putting an end to your suffering yourself?"

"Don't you think the time has come to end it all now?"

"You really ought to take the euthanasia option, you know".

"Come on, your being a burden on the rest of us now, it's about time you stopped being selfish and took the quick way out".

 Euthanasia for children - Armel Coussine
You left out stage 6 ROR: 'Say your prayers and look away. I'm going to shoot you now.'

Honestly, where do you think all these cold-hearted relations are to be found?
 Euthanasia for children - Cliff Pope

>>
>> Honestly, where do you think all these cold-hearted relations are to be found?
>>


Not very far away, apparently, in the world of step-relations and new/broken families, according to a recent article in the DT.
 Euthanasia for children - Bromptonaut
>> Given our social services seem to like forcing people in to operations they don't want
>> or agree to (Italian woman forced to have a caesarean), then your comment may be
>> spot on.

That case was horrendously misreported by the press, particularly the Mail which for some reason has an axe to grind over the Court of Protection.

The woman in that case was suffering from a severe incidence of bi-polar disorder. She'd had the condition for years and couldn't bring up her previous children. I've some experience of the condition (my late sister out law) and unfortunately non-compliance with medication followed by euphoria, mania etc are commonplace. That seems to be case with Italian lady who then, notwithstanding being heavily pregnant, enrolled on a cabin crew training course at Stansted. Why she was accepted given her pregnancy and medical history is a mystery.

During the course her illness manifested itself to point that she was detained under section 3 of the Mental Health Act 1983 - danger to herself or others. The Mail misrepresent this as 'a panic attack'.

By then she probably near term, with a previous history of Caesarians that made her a poor risk for natural delivery. Mentally, she in such a state she was incapable of making decisions in her own best interest; she lacked capacity. The Health Authority, not Social Services, therefore applied to the court for, and were given, permission to carry out a Caesarian without her consent.

Social Services subsequently sought removal of the child and orders preparatory to adoption as she couldn't care for it. Those proceedings are still ongoing under the personal supervision of the President of the Family Division. It is those proceedings rather than the application for Caesarian that are a matter of concern in legal circles - mainly because full account was not taken of the Italian dimension.

There have been one or two subsequent cases where, in similar circumstances, the court has had to order Caesarians (and it also will do so from time to time for other forms of surgery).

Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Sat 15 Feb 14 at 15:42
 Euthanasia for children - zippy
And very high handed it was of them to go to adoptive parents before looking at natural family who may have wanted to look after the child.
 Euthanasia for children - Lygonos
>>And very high handed it was of them to go to adoptive parents before looking at natural family who may have wanted to look after the child.

And again, it may not have been safe for the child to be with family members with the mother having influence/access that may prove dangerous to the child's life.

I've seen a handful of children end up with their grandparents/aunties/etc, usually as a result of uncontrolled substance misuse and horrific social issues - for a court to allow adoption outwith the family, don't you think there's maybe just a wee bit more going on than was reported, Zippy?
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