For the first time since euthanasia was legalised in the Netherlands, a doctor who administered a lethal injection against a patient’s wishes – an 80 year-old female with dementia (see the Netherlands: female patient “given euthanasia against her wishes”) – could face criminal proceedings.
In fact, the Regional Euthanasia Committee believes that the doctor in question did not act in accordance with the duty of care criteria defined in the legislation.
Dutch prosecutors have already launched a criminal investigation into the doctor’s actions. They refer to a “serious suspicion” but could reassess the facts as a criminal act.
BioEdge, Michael Cook (21/10/2017)