Monday, June 21, 2010

Thousands die from euthanasia in the Netherlands

According to Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition:
The number of euthanasia deaths in the Netherlands has significantly risen on a yearly basis for several years. The most recent report suggested that there were 2,636 reported euthanasia deaths, a 13% increase over the 2008 stats, which themselves represented a 10% increase over the previous year.

The problem with the media reports concerning euthanasia in the Netherlands is that they do not include all categories of direct and intentional deaths that are recorded.

The Netherlands has separate categories for assisted suicide and deaths without explicit request or consent.

The most recent full-report concerning euthanasia in the Netherlands stated that there were approximately 400 assisted suicide deaths and 550 deaths without explicit request or consent .

Therefore a more accurate number of reported deaths would be 2,636 reported euthanasia deaths, 400 reported assisted suicide deaths, and 550 deaths without explicit request or consent.

The current number of reported euthanasia deaths has grown significantly. In 2008 there were 2,331 reported deaths, in 2007 there were 2,120 reported deaths, in 2006 there were 1,923 reported deaths, and in 2003 there were 1,815 reported deaths. ...

Meanwhile a study by anthropologist Anne Marie The suggested that many of the reported cases of euthanasia were not voluntarily requested by the person who died. Anne Marie The interviewed physicians who participated in euthanasia and asked them about specific circumstances. She found that often the decision to go ahead with euthanasia was made by the physician. ...

The reality is that euthanasia is out of control in the Netherlands.