Landmark euthanasia trial opens in the Netherlands
A landmark euthanasia trial opened in the Netherlands Monday seeking to pinpoint what to do with dementia patients who have previously stated their wish to die under certain circumstances but later might have second thoughts.
The court case centers on a 74-year-old woman who was given fatal doses of drugs three years ago despite some indications she might have changed her mind. The doctor in the case is accused of making insufficient efforts to find out whether the patient still wanted to die.
She is charged with breaching the euthanasia law and, if the judge rules the request of the patient was insufficient, that charge could in theory become murder. But the prosecution is not seeking any penal sentence against the doctor and does not question her good faith. Instead, the prosecution centers its case on setting out a better legal framework for the future....
