“A slippery slope. ” When asked about the evolution of the practice of euthanasia in his country, Father Marc Desmet Jesuit and chief of a palliative care service in one of the biggest hospitals in Belgium, Hasselt, answer without hesitation. Fifteen years after the decriminalization of euthanasia, this Flemish doctor can only see the evolution of the law. Initially conceived in 2002 as a possibility open to people suffering in an unbearable and constant way from an incurable serious illness, it has since continued to expand: people with mental disorders represent 19% of patients euthanized, and it is possible since 2014 to euthanize minors, even if they are not able to give their consent. As for the figures – 15,000 people in total have been euthanized – they have steadily increased, from 235 euthanasia in 2003 to 2024 in 2016 (2% of deaths in the country).
To reflect on these developments, several researchers met last month at the University of Antwerp, for a colloquium intended to establish a critical assessment of fifteen years of application of this law in the country. This state of affairs was organized while the Belgians have been debating for several weeks a new evolution of the law, to allow “the elderly who have the feeling of a fulfilled life,” also called “tired of living,” even if they do not suffer from any pathology, to access euthanasia. Seven out of ten Belgians are in favour of such an evolution, according to an RTL / Le Soir / Ipsos poll published in mid-September.
