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Belgian king signs euthanasia law

09:54 03/03/2014

Uncertainty was put to rest Sunday, as Belgium’s King Philippe signed into law the right of minors to seek euthanasia. The king’s constitutional action ends the pressure placed on the head of state by many lobby groups urging him not to approve the country’s controversial law passed by the Lower House two weeks ago. Catholic organisations, and most recently a petition signed by more than 200,000 Europeans, called on King Philippe to reject the bill’s passage in the senate and parliament. The petition was launched by an Austrian couple, also the parents of a large family, heavily involved in Catholic associations.

In the fifteen days leading up to Sunday, there was much talk that King Philippe may follow in the footsteps of his uncle, the late King Baudouin, who in the 1990s refused to sign an abortion law. 

Written by Andrew King

Comments

Anon2

Sad -if not scary- implications for terminally or chronically ill children whose long-term care becomes too expensive or too inconvenient for their parents.

Mar 3, 2014 12:11
R.Harris

@Anon2: Before making ignorant and provocative statements why don't you actually inform yourself of how the law is to be applied; no one is going to be killed on the parents' say alone. There are a whoole mess of conditions to be filled brfore any action will be taken. But I think you already knew that and were just trying to make a sleazily dishonest political point.

Mar 3, 2014 17:05