A Dutch doctor who was being investigated for euthanizing an old woman against her will has been acquitted of all charges.
The physician was placed under investigation for administering a lethal dose of drugs to the 74-year-old, despite her protestations and the fact she was suffering from dementia. The patient, who died in 2016, did pen a written wish to be euthanized four years prior. However, she also made it clear that she wanted to retain the autonomy to determine the exact time of her death.
Prior to the woman being taken into care, the doctor decided that the assisted suicide should be carried out based on her statement. After this was confirmed by two separate independent doctors, her death certificate was effectively signed.
When the time came, the doctor sedated the woman by slipping a drug into her coffee. However, when the elderly woman suddenly regained consciousness, she was in an extremely distressed state and resisting the doctor. At this point, the physician instructed family members to hold her down while she injected her with the final, lethal dose.
In the ruling, Judges determined that the doctor acted lawfully because if they had not carried out the procedure, it would have undermined the patient’s wishes, according to the BBC. Speaking at The Hague Wednesday, Judge Mariette Renckens insisted that “all requirements of the…
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