"The euthanasia has taken place"

Brussels (AFP) - A terminally ill 17-year-old has become the first minor to be euthanised in Belgium since age restrictions on such mercy killings in the country were lifted in 2014, it was learned Saturday.

VRT public television said the incident involved an adolescent who was about to turn 18.

"Fortunately, there are very few children who are considered (for euthanasia) but that does not mean we should refuse them the right to a dignified death," Distelmans told the newspaper.

Since 2014, when its euthanasia legislation was amended, Belgium has been the only country in the world that allows terminally-ill children of any age to choose to end their suffering -- as long as they are conscious and capable of making rational decisions.

The Netherlands also allows mercy killings for children, but only for those aged over 12.

- 'Very controlled' -

(Via Drudge) https://www.yahoo.com/news/belgium-euthanises-terminally-ill-child-landmark-case-092154337.html

"Dutch people given the right to euthanasia because of mental, not terminal, illness"

Daily Mail:  Helena told the Mail: 'Jackie is only 45 but dearly wants to die. Our family believes she must be allowed to do so. She approached an end-of-life clinic and it has put her on the waiting list for an appointment.

'Her mood has brightened since. She knows there is an end in sight to her suffering and this has given her comfort.'....

Significantly, many of the mentally-ill patients had already been rejected for euthanasia by their own GPs. He explained: 'If someone has cancer and the prognosis is poor, doctors will shorten their suffering by euthanasia.

'But if you cannot see what a patient is dying of, or know when they will die — it could be many years ahead if the person is mentally ill — then the doctors find it more difficult to decide whether to end a life.'

So Pleiter's team offers to fill this gap. He got into the right-to-die business when his mother suffered a stroke at 80 and was left paralysed down one half of her body. She had always told him that if such an eventuality happened, she wanted to be helped to die.

"The government quickly said no..."

"Chile’s president meets with ailing teen who asked to die"

“I urgently request to speak to the president because I’m tired of living with this illness,” said the teenager, whose older brother died at age 6 from the same disease. “I want her approval so I can get a shot that will make me sleep forever.”

"Belgium considering whether to allow sick CHILDREN to end their own lives"

"Euthanasia is already legal for people over the age of 18 in the country and now it may be extended to cover children which is something no other country has done."

The same bill would offer the right to die to adults with early dementia.

''It is strange that minors are considered legally incompetent in key areas, such as getting married, but might (be able) to decide to die,' Catholic Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard testified."

DailyMail