Parents in The Netherlands can now agree to euthanize their terminally ill children under 12 to end 'unbearable suffering'

• The Dutch government will expand its euthanasia laws to include young children aged one and 12.
• They say this will end the "hopeless and unbearable suffering" of 5 to 10 children each year.

The Dutch government has announced it will expand current euthanasia laws to allow medical assistance in dying for young children between the ages of one and 12 years old.

According to the press release from the government, this will end the "hopeless and unbearable suffering" of up to 10 children each year who are terminally ill.

Dutch Health Minister Ernst Kuipers, a doctor before becoming a politician, said, "This is a particularly complex subject that deals with very harrowing situations. I am pleased that, after intensive consultation with all parties involved, we have come to a solution with which we can help these terminally ill children, their parents, and also their practitioners."

The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia, with the practice being decriminalized in 2002.

Since the introduction of euthanasia laws, children as young as 12 have been permitted to be euthanized.

However, if a child is between the ages of 12 and 16 and wishes to be euthanized, the parent's consent must also be sought.

If a child is between 16 and 18, the parents must be involved in the decision.

For doctors not to get prosecuted when performing euthanasia, they have to be convinced that the patient's request is voluntary and that their "suffering is unbearable and without prospect of improvement."

The latest government data shows that, in 2021, 7,666 people were euthanized, equating to 4.5% of total deaths in The Netherlands.

Over 60% of these people had incurable cancers.