[Magdalen] Should we support euthanasia for children

[Roger Stokes]

On 02/07/2015 18:10, Lynn Ronkainen wrote:
> IMO... at 24 Laura is not a child, despite having these 'desires' 
> since she was a child.
> I do find this troublesome, and would hope that there are procedures 
> in place to take each situation and request as it comes, that some 
> professional level of scrutiny is applied.

Over the years there have been attempts to change the law in the UK to 
allow physician-assisted suicide or actual euthanasia, often with 
reference to partocularly harrowing cases.  Each time the attempt has 
failed at a relatively early stage, for which I am thankful.  It is not 
that I want people to carry on in these distressing circumstances but I 
do not want to unlock the gate at the top of a very slippery slope.

As soon as you allow such a step in carefully defined circumstances 
there will be pressure with reference to a case that does not quite meet 
the threshhold.  At what stage does it become permissible in a 
progressive condition?  Far better, in my view, to keep the gate firmly 
locked and focus on the provision of good quality palliative care which 
respects, as far as possible, the dignity of the patient in 
anend-of-life situation.

As our law stands at present a person who assists, in any way, a suicide 
may be prosecuted.  However such prosecutions are rare because they are 
generally not regarded as being in the public interest.  A few years ago 
the government law official was required, by court order, to produce 
guidelines that would be considered in deciding whether or not to 
prosecute someone for assisting a suicide.  This is not an ideal 
situation as it is still a judgement call in each case but it does give 
some guidance on the degree of risk of prosecution they would face.
http://www.cps.gov.uk/publications/prosecution/assisted_suicide_policy.html

Roger