Child Euthanasia: The Moral Debate
Euthanasia is viewed as a controversial issue all over the world, but it has received particular media attention in Belgium because of the decision to extend the legality of euthanasia to children and infants. There have been an increasingly high number of recorded euthanasia cases since the introduction of the law in September, 2002, with the number of cases increasing as much as 27% each year. This growing number of euthanasia deaths (shown in the graph below; 2003-2012) has raised concerns among the public and there is a spreading belief that the government is not able to adequately control the practice.
One person commented that Belgium has 'leaped head-first off a moral cliff'. Another person, a professor by the name of Chris Gastmans, said; 'In a society as wealthy as ours, we must find another, caring way to deal with human frailty.'
A number of protests against child euthanasia and euthanasia in general have occurred among the public, but the overwhelming "yes" vote of Belgium's government in the vote to legalise child euthanasia shows that not everyone is opposed to the idea. In fact, over 80% of Belgium's citizens support euthanasia. But is this because they believe it is right, or because they aren't fully aware of the issue?