Euthanasia

[IanF]

Reading the terribly sad story about the 17 year old Dutch girl, Noa Pothoven, who died today and found it extremely upsetting. I obviously can’t understand the pain she must’ve felt, but feel it was wrong for her family and the Dutch medical services to let her die. I’m sure it wasn’t an easy decision, but I don’t think it’d be one I would ever choose for a 17yo woman.

Often you gents come up with different opinions to me that help me understand someone else’s perspective, so thought I’d start a debate.

Obviously, a 90yo with severe dementia is a different case to this and I’d probably respect their wishes , but a child who, at least physically, could’ve eventually led a full life.... I’d want to help them in any way possible to continue living.

https://news.sky.com/story/i-havent-rea ... e-11734815

Sorry if I ruined anyone’s evening.

[GG.]

It is an interesting and upsetting case. You would think that carefully drafted laws would not allow euthanasia for the otherwise able bodied, however, some may argue that if you're allowing it for the purposes of "stopping suffering" then you would have to exclude mental illness as 'suffering' to avoid this as an outcome and is that fair? Not an easy question to answer.

[Beany]

Mind your sources though. Most of the reports in the press are, frankly, horseshit.

[IanF]

You’re right Beany. In that she wasn’t given a lethal injection. She was allowed to stop eating and drinking however, and that kills you aswell (as Sky reported )

Euthanasia, to me, is not just going to a Swiss clinic for an injection.

[Simon]

At the Swiss clinic it's actually a couple of drinks you take yourself - the first is to stop your stomach rejecting the second, and the second does the 'deed'. Watch Terry Pratchett's documentary on it. It's sobering...

[Explosive Newt]

Even though she wasn't euthanised (as widely and incorrectly reported), it's still very distressing. Stating that someone who is depressed is of sound mind to make a rational judgement to end their life is deeply flawed imho.

The problem with assisted suicide / euthanasia is that you have to be 100% sure that the condition for which someone wants to end their life is fully treated and their quality of life is made as good as possible. I'm not sure that is the case here.

[ZedLeg]

With the mental health problems she had chances are she would've killed herself at some point. At least this way it was in a relatively controlled environment.

I know someone who has a very similar story to this one, childhood trauma, eating disorder, ptsd and bpd. They have attempted suicide several times and their life is very hard. I wouldn't blame someone who decided they didn't want to live with that.