Euthanasia has been legal in our country for 20 years now. On May 28, 2002, Belgium became the second country in the world to authorize it. Since then, approximately 2,500 euthanasias have been recorded each year.
This was the case with Catherine’s mother. She was able to follow her end of life until the last moment: “It was so peaceful, because first she falls asleep, and then the heart stops. I felt no violence. That’s probably what makes me think we’re calm about euthanasia” she says.
Doctor Decroly has accompanied more than a hundred patients in their desire to end their lives. He remembers the debates caused by this law, 20 years ago: “We have several eminent members of Catholic universities who have taken a stand, and who have expressed the idea that a law could be humanistic even if it might go against certain rules of the Church.” he recalls. Since then, the law has been reformed several times, allowing, in particular, euthanasia for minors.
Today, it is also possible to make an advance declaration. This allows the doctor to perform euthanasia when his patient is unconscious, and his state of health is irreversible. The associations would like this advance statement to be extended to patients with progressive dementia: “A point of improvement, and which concerns a large number of people, since today, in Belgium, there is talk of some 200,000 people suffering from progressive dementia, including 140,000 Alzheimer’s” justifies Jacqueline Herremans, the president of the Association for the Right to Die with Dignity (ADMD).
The associations are also asking for better training for doctors who wish to practice euthanasia.