Belgian Senate OKs child euthanasia bill

Belgium's Senate has strongly supported legislation that would extend the country's euthanasia law to children under certain conditions.

Senators on Thursday voted 50-17 in favor of the proposed law. If adopted, it will decriminalize euthanasia for children, if they are in great pain, suffer from a terminal condition and are expected to die soon.

[link to www.usatoday.com]


"Currently the Belgian euthanasia law limits euthanasia to people who are at least 18 years old. This unprecedented bill would extend euthanasia to children with disabilities," says Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. "The Belgian Socialist government is adamant that the euthanasia law needs to extend to minors and people with dementia even though there is significant examples of how the current law is being abused and the bracket creep of acceptable reasons for euthanasia continues to grow. The current practice of euthanasia in Belgium appears to have become an easy way to cover-up medical errors."

[link to www.lifenews.com]