Schippers believes that the rise of euthanasia cases with psychiatric patients can be explained in the increased willingness of doctors to offer euthanasia in these cases. She also thinks that doctors know that the testing commissions have ruled that in all 27 cases from 2011 and 2012, there was careful action. Thus, she claims that the conception of doctors concerning the legal norms could have developed in that respect.
The growth in the number of psychiatric euthanasia deaths is more closely related to the actions of the Levenseindekliniek euthanasia clinic.
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Professor Tom Mortier |
Belgian Professor Tom Mortier wrote in an article that the euthanasia debate in the Netherlands re-started intensively after the Dutch newspaperTrouw reported a big quarrel, in January 2014 between doctors about the euthanasia death of a 35-year-old psychiatric patient in 2012. (Link).
A young woman with psychiatric problems asked her general practitioner for euthanasia. For this purpose, her general practitioner consulted the first independent doctor, but this doctor gave a negative recommendation. A second independent doctor ruled that the euthanasia request could not be granted because, according to him, there were still treatment options. The general practitioner then asked a third doctor, a psychiatrist, who only needed two weeks to conclude that the problems of the 35-year-old woman were untreatable and thus a lethal injection was approved. Two days later, on December 19 2012, the patient died by euthanasia.
A physically healthy man of 63 who was working for a government institution, died by euthanasia. He never had a relationship and the only thing he did his whole life was work. This man had been treated for a long time for depression, but the treatment didn't work out. He also tried to commit suicide, but he failed. According to psychiatrist Gerty Casteelen this man decided that he wanted to die. The night before his death, he gave a farewell reception for his colleagues. The day after, Casteelen went to his house and gave him a lethal injection. (Link)