Is euthanasie een maakbare dood? Een bijdrage vanuit het perspectief van de meldingsprocedure Dominion Over Death? Euthanasia from the Perspective of the Review Procedure

Abstract

Euthanasia can be viewed as a necessary response to extreme terminal suffering, but also as a brave expression of humans taking their destiny in their own hands. Reports sent to euthanasia review committees often motivate a patient’s choice for euthanasia in terms of an autonomous choice. On the basis of an analysis of 1,000 euthanasia cases from the review procedure in the years 2005-2008, it is argued that euthanasia in the Netherlands is predominantly an emergency reaction rather than an expression of autonomy. From a closer look at the data we learn that the autonomy card is only played in the context of extreme suffering without any prospect of improvement.