The Netherlands has euthanized a child under the age of 12, becoming only the second country in the world to permit euthanasia of a minor that young. Belgium previously euthanized two children, ages 9 and 11. Aleteia reports that the Netherlands, which legalized euthanasia and assisted suicide in 2002, has now expanded its practice to include young children. The case marks a troubling expansion of euthanasia law in a nation already known for permissive end-of-life policies.
What happened
The Netherlands confirmed it euthanized a child under 12 years old, though specific details about the child’s age, condition, and circumstances have not been made public. The country legalized euthanasia in 2002, becoming the first nation to do so. Dutch law permits euthanasia for terminally ill patients who are experiencing unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement.
Belgium remains the only other nation to have euthanized children under 12, having ended the lives of two minors aged 9 and 11 in previous years. Belgium removed all age restrictions from its euthanasia law in 2014, allowing minors to request euthanasia if they are deemed capable of making the decision.
For full details, read Aleteia’s reporting.
Why this matters
The Catholic Church teaches that human life is sacred from conception to natural death, and that euthanasia is gravely contrary to the dignity of the human person and the respect due to the living God, our Creator. The Catechism states that euthanasia is “morally unacceptable” and that “whatever its motives and means, direct euthanasia consists in putting an end to the lives of handicapped, sick, or dying persons” (CCC 2277). The deliberate killing of a child, regardless of suffering or prognosis, represents a fundamental rejection of the principle that God alone is the author of life.
This case also raises profound questions about the trajectory of euthanasia laws. What began decades ago as a narrow exception for terminally ill adults in extreme suffering has now expanded to include young children in two European nations. Catholics and all people of goodwill should recognize this as a grave injustice and a warning about the logic of euthanasia once legalized.
For Catholic readers
Pray for the child who died, for the family involved, and for a conversion of hearts in nations that permit euthanasia. Consider learning more about the Church’s teaching on end-of-life care by reading Samaritanus Bonus, the 2020 Vatican document on caring for persons in critical and terminal phases of life.
Sources:
1. Aleteia — original report
