Intended for healthcare professionals

News Extra

Reported euthanasia cases in Holland fall for second year

BMJ 2002; 324 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.324.7350.1354/b (Published 08 June 2002) Cite this as: BMJ 2002;324:1354
  1. Tony Sheldon
  1. Utrecht

    For the second year running, Dutch doctors have reported fewer cases of euthanasia and assisted suicide, raising questions over whether mercy killing is declining or doctors are failing to fulfil their legal obligation to notify the authorities.

    In 2001 the five regional euthanasia assessment committees received 2054 reports, compared with 2216 in 1999.

    The committees, comprising a doctor, a lawyer, and an ethicist, replaced the system of reporting to a local magistrate in 1998. This followed a national study of euthanasia in 1995 that estimated that the 1466 …

    View Full Text

    Log in

    Log in through your institution

    Subscribe

    * For online subscription