Euthanasia in Belgium

The backers of euthanasia swore up and down that there would be safeguards, that only competent adults would be allowed to opt for suicide. They lied. Since the above Reuters link is apt to vanish, an edited version follows:

Belgium considers euthanasia for children

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgian lawmakers belonging to Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt's ruling Flemish Liberal party have introduced a bill seeking to expand the country's controversial euthanasia legislation to include minors.

Senators Jeannine Leduc and Paul Wille said in the bill that terminally ill children and teenagers had as much right to choose when they wanted to die as anyone else.

"Their suffering is as great (and) the situation they face is as intolerable and inhumane," the senators' bill read on Wednesday.

A controversial law decriminalising euthanasia came into force in Belgium in September 2002.

Patients wishing to end their lives must be conscious when the application is made and repeat their request for euthanasia. Their doctor must fill in a form and consult another physician before making a final decision.

Is anybody ready to hear "I told you so" about slippery slopes, or do people have so much invested in their pet ideas that they can't afford to admit they were wrong?