Belgium Set to Extend Euthanasia Laws to Children

Over at ABC news is a good and fairly well balanced piece about the forthcoming vote in Belgium’s parliament about extending euthanasia to terminally ill children (see here and it includes a video). It is, as you can imagine, a very sensitive and heated issue. Nobody wants to see children suffer, especially in the later stages of cancer or degenerative illnesses. However, I think legitimate concerns are raised, like whether children possess the cognitive capacities to make end of life decisions, and the looming danger that such laws will be extended to include the disabled like those with Down’s Syndrome. The ethical issues are huge and complex, but this is definitely a dark place to which the Belgians look to be headed!