February 14, 2014
Belgium’s Chamber of Representatives voted on February 13 to pass a bill allowing children under 18 to request euthanasia with parental consent. The vote was 86 in favor, 44 opposed, and 12 abstaining. A man in the public gallery of parliament shouted “murderers” in French when the vote was passed, Reuters news agency reported.
Belgium’s Senate passed the law in December by a vote of 50-17, with four senators not voting.
The new law is Europe’s most permissive law on euthanasia, with the Netherlands, Belgium’s northern neighbor, allowing euthanasia for children over the age of 12, providing there is parental consent. Belgium’s new law states that children of any age who decide to end their own lives may be put to death, but must possess “discernment” and must be evaluated by psychologists who must certify that they understand the severity of their decision.
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