Last week we began a series on euthanasia and assisted suicide by talking about what they are, and what they are not. This week we will discuss some examples of euthanasia and assisted suicide overseas, and look at how they are being used and next week we’ll consider their use in North America (Canada and the United States) before wrapping the series up with a discussion on how to make sure this type of legislation doesn’t become law in Pennsylvania.

There are some alarming examples of people who have committed suicide or euthanasia overseas, which it is important to study as a harbinger of what is to come here in Pennsylvania if we are not vigilant.  Perhaps the most alarming of all these was Pietro D’Amico who died by assisted suicide at a Switzerland suicide clinic in April 2013 because he was diagnosed as being terminally ill, only to have his autopsy reveal he was given a wrong diagnosis.  Then there is the case of Ann, who died by euthanasia in 2012 after accusing her psychiatrist (who subsequently lost his medical license) of sexually exploiting her and several other patients, causing her pain she said was unbearable and making her want to die.  Finally, consider the case of Marty and Eddy, brothers born deaf and going blind. They committed euthanasia together in December of 2012 because they were afraid of becoming dependent on others.  These are just a few of many examples of people who needed help, but instead got a prescription to kill themselves.

It is apparent after looking at several studies done in Belgium that these cases are not the exception, but the rule.  One study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal in June of 2010 surveyed 1678 nurses.  Of those, 1265 responded and 248 (almost 20%) reported their last patient died by euthanasia.  Almost half of those (120) reported the deaths were hastened without explicit request and in 14 of the cases, the nurses admitted to injecting the patients, even though it is still illegal for them to do so, even in Belgium.  According to a 2015 Belgian euthanasia report, there were 2021 euthanasia deaths that year, more than double the reported euthanasia deaths just 5 years ago…despite the fact that estimates of unreported euthanasia deaths in the Netherlands start at 20% and increase from there.  These, and other similar studies, prove that these laws do not provide the necessary controls and are being abused.  Even Dr. Jan Bernhein, a pioneer of the Belgian euthanasia law admitted during a debate in November 2013 “There are problems with the Belgian euthanasia law”.  As Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition replied “That is cold comfort to the dead”.

When you consider these cases and studies, among many others, it is clear what a disaster these laws are.  There is little to any real oversight and control, and people are dying who just need a helping hand.  Unfortunately this is not just a phenomenon overseas, as we’ll discuss next week.