Former Dutch Prime Minister, Dries van Agt ended his life along with his wife “hand in hand” Eugenie through legal euthanasia. The couple died in their hometown Nijmegen, The Rights Forum, a human rights organization Mr Agt founded, announced.
According to the latest reports, both of them were 93 years old and suffering from deteriorating health issues before they chose to die. Notably, Dries van Agt was the first prime minister of the Netherlands between 1977 to 1982 and the first leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal party.
As per the press note read, “In consultation with the immediate family, we announce that our founder and honorary chairman Dries van Agt passed away on Monday, February 5, in his hometown of Nijmegen,”
It added, “He died together and hand in hand with his beloved wife Eugenie van Agt-Krekelberg, the support and support with whom he was together for more than seventy years, and whom he always continued to refer to as ‘my girl’.
In 2019, Mr Agt suffered a brain hemorrhage and never fully recovered. As per The Guardian report, The couple was “very ill”, but “couldn’t live without each other,” the nonprofit’s director Gerad Jonkman said about the choice of euthanasia.
This widespread news of “duo euthanasia” is now being seen as an emerging trend in the Netherlands. According to the recent outlet, 29 couple have committed assisted suicide in 2022 which is 16 more as compared to 2021 and 13 couples the years before.
The spokesperson for the Expertisecentrum Euthanasie, Elkie Swart, who grants the euthanasia wish of about 1,000 people a year in the Netherlands, said any couple’s requests for assisted death were tested against strict requirements individually rather than together.
She said, “Interest in this is growing, but it is still rare,” as per The Guardian. “It is pure chance that two people are suffering unbearably with no prospect of relief at the same time … and that they both wish for euthanasia,” she added.
Is Euthanasia Legal?
Well, Euthanasia simply means the practice of ending life to eliminate pain and suffering. It has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002. Notably, it includes six conditions including unbearable suffering, no prospect of relief and a long-held, independent wish for death.
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