LIFE ISSUES Belgium euthanasia experience teaches bitter lessons his ideology in the Belgian media. He has even started his own ideological association, Leif, to train other doctors. Furthermore, his organisation recently gave a retired Belgian Senator and proeuthanasia activist, Jacinta De Roeck, a “lifetime achievement award”. by Tom Mortier Whether or not a person approves of the concept of euthanasia, most would insist that if it is legal, it must be carefully controlled. If this isn’t possible, it must not be legalised in the irst place. It is too dangerous. Innocent people will die. ROTSELAAR, BELGIUM — I believe that before the Canadian province of Quebec passes its own legislation to legalise euthanasia, it needs to take a good look at Belgium, which recently took legal steps to extend euthanasia to children. After all, my country has more than 10 years of experience. Distelmans acknowledged that it is not exceptional for mentally-ill patients to be euthanised. He ought to know: He is the chairman of the Belgian Euthanasia Control and Evaluation Commission (Belgian Commission). In fact, Distelmans gave my own mother a lethal injection on April In 2002, when eutha19, 2012 — because she nasia was legalised, it was had chronic depression. said that it would only be Her departure wasn’t the performed in very rare cirTom Mortier serene family gathering, cumstances. We were supposed to have had all the safeguards. full of peace and reconciliation, which Two doctors were to agree, and if the euthanasia supporters gush about. patient was not terminally ill, a third doctor would be consulted, a psychiatrist. A month was to pass between the Distelmans gave my own written request for euthanasia and the mother a lethal injection lethal injection. because she had chronic However, 10 years and 8,000 deaths later, these rules are being ignored and depression. Her departure euthanasia is out of control. On Nowasn’t the serene family vember 27, a parliamentary committee voted to remove age restrictions on eugathering, full of peace thanasia, and so the proposal to extend and reconciliation, which it to children with incurable diseases is euthanasia supporters now headed for a vote in the full Parliament. gush about. The leading euthanasia doctor in Belgium, oncologist Wim Distelmans, The University Hospital in Brussels received international media attenphoned my wife the day after. tion last December when 45-year-old deaf identical twins under his “medical It was the irst we had heard of it. guidance”, who were gradually going My mother died without her closest blind, were killed. The twins thought family at her bedside. that they had nothing to live for, and The business of “consultation” is a had asked for euthanasia. sham. Yes, on the one hand, another Then Distelmans killed 44-year-old doctor has to be asked for advice. But Nathan Verhelst, a transgender person no, the euthanising doctor does not who was born as Nancy. On Belgian have to heed the advice. radio, Distelmans said that his patient All you need to do is ind yourself a met “all” conditions of the euthanasia euthanasia doctor who is willing to kill law. But physically, Nathan was not you. terminally ill, or even ill at all, but was suffering mentally. NEWS WEEKLY, DECEMBER 21, 2013 — PAGE  Distelmans constantly propagates Belgium’s experience clearly demonstrates that controls and safeguards are not possible. Despite all the assurances they gave to the public, the government appointed Distelmans, the leading propagandist for euthanasia in Belgium, to chair the commissions that decide whether euthanasia cases have been carried out in accordance with the law. He has been in that position for all the time that the law has been in effect. And so everything we know about Belgian euthanasia lows through the hands of its leading practitioner. Can a man who is judge, jury and executioner be expected to tell the world about the defects in his euthanasia empire? If we have learned anything in Belgium, it is that euthanasia is an open bar that gives an illusion of safeguards and controls. It promises autonomy and self-determination. In fact, euthanasia gives all the power to the doctors. Patients are at the receiving end of the lethal injection. A bill to introduce “assisted death” in Quebec is currently before the parliamentary assembly in Quebec City. Although the bill has received approval in principle, it still hasn’t been oficially been passed into law. Quebecers should demand that the bill be abandoned. Tom Mortier, PhD, is a lecturer in chemistry at Leuven University College in Leuven, Belgium. He lives in nearby Rotselaar, Belgium. This opinion piece originally appeared in The Montreal Gazette, December 5, 2013. NW www.NewsWeekly.com.au