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February 17, 2014

Broadcaster says Belgian child euthanasia like "Hitler's mercy killing"

Popular broadcaster George Hook has described the legalisation of child euthanasia in Belgium as shocking, and compared it to the horrific so-called mercy killing introduced by Hitler for children with physical disability.

He pointed out the Belgian legislation contained no age limits and that the euthanasia provision could also apply to infants, and queried how the measure could happen in a modern democracy. 



On the Right Hook radio programme Professor of Applied Theology, Robin Gill, also described the move as "deeply worrying" and said that financial factors were regrettably at play, pointing out that 'it's a lot cheaper to kill people than look after them'

Niamh Uí Bhriain of the Life Institute said that it was chilling to observe that "children who can't vote, can't get married, can't buy alcohol, are considered mature enough to avail of euthanasia in Belgium"

She noted that 160 Belgian paediatricians had denounced the child euthanasia bill, pointing out that extending euthanasia to children was not necessary. The paediatricians noted that:
 

  1. Even the most complex medical cases can be solved in the current legal framework, with the means and expertise at our disposal. For whom is this legislation therefore designed?

  2. Children in Belgium are not suffering. The palliative care teams for children are perfectly capable of achieving pain relief, both in hospital and at home.

  3. A sensitive child may perceive the option of euthanasia as a solution or a duty, especially if the child feels that the parents can no longer bear to see him suffer

  4. In practice, there is no objective method for determining whether a child is gifted with the ability of discernment and judgment. So this is actually largely subjective and subject to other influences.

Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition wrote that the current law in Belgium was already being abused and quoted several studies proving that in Belgium:

  1. Euthanasia is widely under-reported http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2950259/pdf/bmj.c5174.pdf;

  2. Euthanasia is often done without an explicit request http://www.cmaj.ca/content/early/2010/05/17/cmaj.091876.full.pdf+html

  3. and nurses are lethally injecting patients http://www.cmaj.ca/content/182/9/905.full, even though the law does not permit it.  

    

 

Posted By: Life House
Category: Euthanasia



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