Australian PM Right: Belgium Proves No Way to Create a “Safe” Euthanasia System

This is a real hoot. Apparently OZ PM Julia Gillard has stated that she doesn’t see a way to create a euthanasia legalization system with safeguards that really protect. A Belgian professor–Down Under for a convention of the World Federation of Right to Die Societies–claims that she should look to Belgium to learn how it is done. From the story:

A PIONEER of Belgium’s voluntary euthanasia law has rebuffed Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s statement that it could be ”almost impossible” to find appropriate safeguards for such a law in Australia. Professor Jan Bernheim, a cancer specialist who was instrumental in creating Belgium’s voluntary euthanasia law in 2002, said Australia could learn a lot from his country about how to create a safe system. Last week, Ms Gillard said she found it difficult to conceive how there could be appropriate safeguards for such a law, but Professor Bernheim said Belgium’s safeguards had worked very well for the past eight years. ”Ms Gillard obviously hasn’t looked at the data,” Professor Bernheim said. ”I think Belgium has a system that is well worth considering.”

Belgium???? Abuses abound! Consider these stories covered by SHS and elsewhere:

The very first “legal” Belgian euthanasia violated the guidelines. Talk about proving my point.
Belgian nurses engage in non voluntary euthanasia: Only doctors are supposed to kill and euthanasia is supposed to be strictly voluntary. Yet in the study referenced, nearly half of the euthanasia deaths had not been requested.
In Flanders, the Dutch speaking part of Belgium, there were nearly as many non voluntary terminations as voluntary. Obviously, a fundamental violation of the guidelines.
Belgian doctors materially under report euthanasia killings: This is a direct violation of Belgian law.
A Belgian patient was euthanized even though she didn’t qualify under the law because she went on a hunger strike. This is just an example of death on demand.
All doctors must be complicit, either by agreeing to euthanize qualified patients who ask or referring to a doctor who will.
Belgian doctors commit infanticide. Clearly a violation of every guideline on the books. Here’s an earlier entry reporting on a similar report.
Belgian doctors have coupled euthanasia with organ donation: The dangers of creating a utilitarian justification for euthanasia are clear and present.
Belgian pharmacies sell euthanasia kits to doctors for $74. Proving that killing is cheaper than caring. (Yes, I know that technically, this isn’t an abuse. But it is illuminating.)

I would say that Professor Bernheim is the one who hasn’t actually looked at the facts. PM Gillard is absolutely correct. Guidelines do not–and cannot-protect against abuse.

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