CHRIS WHITEHOUSE calls out the agenda of the assisted suicide lobby as Matthew Parris admits its the introduction would not just risk putting the terminally under pressure to lift the burden they place on others, but that this would be a ‘good thing’
That’s how it’s advertised, now the Dutch approve it for people in their 20’s with BPD or autism.
Just read up on the Dutch cases and it appears only some details of some cases were released (900 partial released of 30,000 cases between 2012-2021). Of those 8 said their mental illness was the only factor leading to the request for euthanasia.
This leaves somewhere between worst case (8/900) 0.8% and best case (8/30,000) 0.03% of cases you mention here, where autism or other intellectual disability specifically led to a person being euthanased.
My intention is NOT to take the importance away from 8 lives potentially unnecessarily lost, but only to put the problem into relative terms. If I was in a dire position and suffering, I would want this option available to me.
Someone with bipolar disorder who is under medication could be considered of sound mind at the time. They might have the clarity of mind to know that without medication, that they are unstable (a way of suffering) and on medication they are unhappy and suffering. That seems like it would qualify as lifelong suffering so why should that person stay alive if they don’t want to have a life of suffering?