New figures show that deaths by assisted suicide in Belgium have increased by 25 per cent in just one year.
Government statistics indicate that the number of assisted suicides increased from 1133 in 2011 to 1432 in 2012, representing 2 per cent of all deaths in Belgium.
Without request
Recent studies conducted into the country's euthanasia laws found that 32 per cent of assisted deaths are performed without request, whilst 47 per cent of assisted suicides in the Flanders region go unreported.
It was found that those who died by assisted suicide without request were usually a “vulnerable patient group” who were incompetent, did not have cancer, were admitted in hospital and were over the age of 80.
Abuse by nurses
As part of another study, Belgian nurses admitted to administering life-ending drugs to their patients , even though euthanasia can only be legally performed by a medical practitioner. In almost half of the cases, drugs were administered without an explicit request from the patient.
Furthermore, doctors who openly admit to underreporting assisted deaths usually say that they do not follow legal guidelines on the procedure. A recent study showed that whilst practitioners followed guidelines in 73.1 per cent of reported assisted deaths, guidelines were only adhered to in 12.3 per cent of unreported cases.
Extension
Belgian legislators have suggested countering abuse of euthanasia legislation by doctors by widening the definition of the law to include children with disabilities and people with dementia.
Early this year, two deaf twin brothers ended their lives under Belgium’s euthanasia laws even though neither was terminally ill or suffering from unbearable pain.
Andrea Minichiello Williams, CEO of Christian Concern, commented:
“Legalising euthanasia and assisted suicide encourages the take up of such procedures by the public, and paves the way for abuse of the vulnerable at the hands of relatives, friends and medical practitioners.
“We must do all we can to protect the vulnerable and prevent any change in the law in Britain”.
Source:
Euthanasia Prevention Coalition
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