Now the Netherlands is euthanising children
The Netherlands has euthanised a 12-year-old child under its assisted-dying laws, marking a significant expansion of the country's euthanasia policy. This case has raised concerns about the implications of allowing children to request euthanasia, particularly given their limited understanding of the concept. The Netherlands is now one of the few countries in the world with no age restrictions on euthanasia, joining Belgium which legalised child euthanasia in 2014.
- ▪A 12-year-old child was euthanised in the Netherlands under the country's assisted-dying laws.
- ▪The Dutch law allows children under 12 to request euthanasia if they are suffering unbearably and have no possibility of recovery.
- ▪The Netherlands is one of the few countries in the world with no age restrictions on euthanasia, along with Belgium.
- ▪The expansion of euthanasia to children was motivated by the hope of ending the dilemma for doctors who administer euthanasia to young children who can't decide for themselves.
- ▪The case has raised concerns about the implications of allowing children to request euthanasia, given their limited understanding of the concept.
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Now the Netherlands is euthanising children A 12-year-old was put to death under Dutch assisted-dying laws. The UK must pay attention. dataLayer.push({ event: 'author', author: "Kevin Yuill" }) Kevin Yuill 28th June 2026 Share Topics World Want unlimited, ad-free access? Become a spiked supporter. For the first time in the history of the Netherlands, a child has been euthanised by the state. The Dutch health minister revealed this week that Sophie Hermans, a child under the age of 12, was given a lethal injection in late 2025. This case follows another relaxation of the safeguards on euthanasia in the Netherlands. In 2002, the Dutch decriminalised euthanasia and assisted suicide for competent adults.
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