Visitors look down from the balcony onto the plenary room, as Belgian politicians gather to vote the bill on child euthanasia at the Belgian federal parliament in Brussels, Thursday Feb. 13, 2014, extending to children a legal option already possessed by the country’s adults.BRUSSELS – Belgian lawmakers voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to extend the country’s euthanasia law to children under 18.
The law empowers children with terminal ailments who are in great pain to ask to be put to death by their doctor if their parents agree and a psychiatrist or psychologist certifies they are conscious of what their choice signifies.
It has wide public support, but was opposed by some pediatricians and the country’s Roman Catholic clergy. As House of Representative members cast their ballots and an electronic tally board lit up with enough green lights to indicate the measure would carry, a lone protester in the chamber shouted “assassins!”
Hans Bonte, a Socialist, said no member of the House hopes the law will ever be made use of. But he said all Belgians, including minors, deserved the right to “bid farewell to life in humane circumstances” without having to fear they were breaking the law.
The 86-44 vote in the House, with 12 abstentions, followed approval by the Senate in December.