A Dutch court acquitted a doctor on Wednesday, September 11, 2019 of all charges for the euthanasia of an elderly woman who suffered from dementia but may not have wanted to end her life when her life was taken.
The landmark case received widespread media attention because prosecutors claim the doctor, who remains unnamed, did not properly consult her patient before injecting her with a lethal dose of drugs. The unnamed 74-year-old patient was given a sedative in her coffee and had to be restrained by her husband and daughter as the doctor injected her with the deadly drugs.
“We conclude that all requirements of the euthanasia legislation had been met. Therefore the suspect is acquitted of all charges,” Judge Mariette Renckens said at the court in The Hague.
The case tested the interpretation and scope of the Netherlands’ euthanasia laws after the country became the first nation to legalize medical euthanasia in 2002.
This is the first case of a doctor being accused of wrongfully causing her patient’s death, but Wednesday’s ruling determined that the doctor correctly followed her patient’s instruction to end her life despite her having to be restrained at the time of her death in 2016.
One inherent consequence that so-called “Death with Dignity” advocates seem to ignore is the possibility that doctors and family members will pressure people into euthanasia or assisted suicide for convenience. This case in the Netherlands takes that one step further, as an elderly woman was euthanized against her will.
A thought occurs to me regarding a person’s “right to death with dignity” and a medical professional facilitating the termination of life.
I posit that if a person is considered to be of sound mind when deciding to commit suicide then they should have their decision honored. HOWEVER; once of the precepts of the medical profession is; “First, do no harm”. Expecting a physician or other medical professional to become an accessory to murder is, in the least, placing an untenable burden on the doctor/patient relationship.
If you want to “off” yourself then have the guts to do it yourself without placing the burden of responsibility on another person.