On July 4th the Dutch courts ruled against members of the Cooperative Last Will (CLW) for supplying clients with a means of dying known as “Substance X”. The six members of CLW were suspected of participating in a criminal organization. Two of them were also suspected of providing suicide drug Substance X. Four CLW members were acquitted of participation in a criminal organization. The other two were convicted, both for participation in a criminal organization and for providing the suicide drug. They were given suspended prison sentences. A seventh suspect died of natural causes before the judge could make a ruling.
For the Dutch right to die society NVVE, this is a reason to once again call on national politicians to finally work on a legal and safe means of dying. Though a large majority of the Dutch population believes that people should be able to receive assisted suicide if they believe that their lives are complete, under the current law, euthanasia or assisted suicide is only possible if people have a medical condition and therefore suffer unbearably and without hope.
Fransien van ter Beek, chairman of the NVVE said, ‘There is a clear need among Dutch people for a means with which they can die with dignity at a time of their choosing. The government should take action precisely to prevent this from happening in the illegal circuit. That is much more fruitful than fighting a rearguard action.’ The Cooperation for Last Will and NVVE are two separate organizations though they share the goal of making a safe and reliable means of dying available.
Read more about the ruling here (in Dutch).
The Netherlands