‘Death of a child is sometimes lesser evil’ - Kids’ euthanasia law author ― RT SophieCo
Belgium has adopted a law allowing terminally sick children to be euthanized. Now, these kids can have a say in whether they want to live or end their suffering. But are they able to make such irreversible decision? Should the society force those in pain to endure it further? Today we’ll be talking to one of the advocates of the law – a Belgian Senator Philippe Mahoux is on Sophie&Co.
Sophie Shevardnadze: And our guest is Belgian senator, and the supporter of the law, allowing euthanasia for minors, Philppe Mahoux, thank you very much for being with us at this program. So you are a doctor yourself, a surgeon - what have you seen that could possibly make you take up this issue in the first place?
Philippe Mahoux: Listen... as a doctor, I think ... we were confronted with situations of great distress, patients with incurable disease, mostly cancers, and it also applies to minors, children and teenagers. Before the 2002 law was adopted in Belgium, we could not respond to the requests for euthanasia. Since the law was passed, many pediatricians and oncologists, in particular those who deal with children, asked us repeatedly... begged in some cases, to amend the law to allow those children that are suffering to benefit from dignified death. This is why we started this discussion in the Belgian Parliament.
SS: But I’m just wondering if you had any personal experience yourself, how many cases have you personally come across, where children have asked doctors to help them die, and how many parents have agreed to that?
SS: It’s pure coincidence, but I am a journalist, I’m 35, but I also happen to be a board member of Moscow hospice – so, people that I worked with very tightly, they are actually confronted with terminally ill kids every day; kids, who die every day. When I talked to them, about euthanasia, they tell me that they yet have to come across a child who wishes to die, because that hasn’t happened yet, in our case.
SS: Have you had a situation where parents ask for their children to be killed through euthanasia?
SS: But why I insist to find out your personal opinion and experiences is because this is a very personal, very emotional law, and it’s a law that for many crosses ethics or morals. I don’t know if you have any children, but if you had any children – would you allow them to decide on matters of life or death?
SS: But we are still talking in general terms. Take us through an average case which ends in someone being euthanized. What are they suffering from, how long does the decision take?
SS: Then, since you say that there are not so many cases, why make it into a law? Why not just deal with it on a case-by-case basis? Because at the point where it becomes a law, you know very well that it leaves a lot of room for mistakes, and abuses, because not all doctors are so honest and not all doctors are so respective of their profession. In all countries, it is the same.
SS: So, then Mr. Mahoux, just to be precise, there is no age restriction in this law.
SS: So it is really the psychologists that decide if the child is in a condition to make a life decision or not. Is that it?
SS: So, this minor can be four years old as well as sixteen years old; do I understand that right?
SS: But you, as a doctor, what do you think, at what age does a child develop the capacity to make such a serious decision?
SS: You know, because there are still some people who are, nevertheless, opposed to this law, and they say that minors do not have the right to vote, do not have the right to drink, do not have the right to marry, so then if they are suffering from an incurable disease, does it really give them the competence to make an adult decision?
SS: And what do you do with the option of palliative care, for example? Because everyone who works in “palliative care” will tell you that, you know, the only time that a child or an adult would ask you for euthanasia is if you have not provided a palliative net, otherwise they would never ask you to kill them.
SS: Since we are speaking about ethics, have you already had a case where the doctor refuses to use euthanasia with a client?
SS: And you do not see an ethical problem, for example, in paying a doctor just to put an end to the life of someone, to kill someone? Is there not an ethical problem there?
日本国憲法下における実質的意味の法律は、一般的・抽象的な法規範を指すとされる。
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/d1021/20140129#1390992102
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/d1021/20140127#1390820262
