A convicted rapist and murderer, who is not terminally ill, has been granted permission to end his life under Belgium's euthanasia laws.
Frank Van Den Bleeken filed a request for euthanasia citing “unbearable psychological anguish”, and said he did not want to leave prison as he would “risk creating further victims.”
This is the first time that Belgium's euthanasia laws have been extended to a prisoner since the procedure was legalised in the country twelve years ago.
Widespread criticism
But the decision, which has resulted in fifteen further inmates immediately lodging requests for euthansia, has been widely criticised.
Carine Brochier, project manager at the European Institute for Bioethics said the law in Belgium was "uncontrollable", and that it was becoming increasingly "fashionable" for the sick, elderly and mentally ill to ask to die in this way.
'Death on demand'
Paul Moynan, director of CARE for Europe said that Belgium was at the "forefront of making euthanasia available on demand."
He added: The door was first opened in 2003, and every year since then the demand for euthanasia and its practice has increased. This is not a slippery slope, but a rapid avalanche by this culture of death. As Christians, we should be the first to recognise that it is not for us to decide when we die; and so in every country we should fight any attempt to weaken laws that protect life."
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