Freddy Horion “gets older”, explains Me Jürgen Millen. “”And despair becomes too big for him. His request for euthanasia is not a means of pressure on the government. He is sincere. “
Three essential conditions to be fulfilled
The law relating to euthanasia provides three essential conditions which must be met to access euthanasia. “”The first of the conditions is that the request is voluntary, reiterated, without external pressure and emanating from a competent patient “explains Jacqueline Herremans, lawyer and president of the association for the right to die in dignity. “”It is necessary to examine whether the patient is suffering from a serious and incurable medical condition, of accidental or pathological order, and which causes him inapable mental or physical suffering. “
After 45 years in prison, the oldest Belgian detainee asked for euthanasia: “He has unbearable psychological suffering”
As it stands, Freddy Horion’s euthanasia request seems not to meet the medical criterion. “I do not know the medical situation of this person. The simple fact of invoking suffering is not a sufficient element, it is indeed necessary that these sufferings are caused by a medical condition and not, by the despair of not obtaining a parole”she continues.
The situation of one of the oldest prisoners in the country will be the subject of an in -depth analysis on the part of the Minister of Justice Annelies Verlinden (CD&V).
The request for euthanasia of detainees can be accepted if the latter meet the conditions provided for by law. As a reminder, prisoners enjoy the same rights as citizens outside of prisons, except the right to freedom. We will remember the case of Geneviève Lhermitte, euthanized in March 2023, certainly different.
The uncle of Geneviève Lhermitte says more about the euthanasia of her niece: “She has served 1,000 times her sentence”
“Geneviève Lhermitte was in parole. Suffering from a psychiatric affection which caused him inapachable suffering, his request for euthanasia meets the criteria of the law “, Rappelle Jacqueline Herremans.
An increase in the number of euthanasia of almost 17 %
In 2024, 3,991 euthanasia registration documents were received and examined by the Commission, marking an increase of 16.6 % compared to 2023. Euthanasia thus represents 3.6 % of the deaths recorded in Belgium in 2024, against 3.1 % in 2023. Arrested: three quarters of euthaniasis are practiced in Flanders.
The majority of patients concerned were over 70 (72.6 %), 43.2 % of whom were over 80 years old. Euthanasia in patients under 40 is rare (1.3 %).
A case of euthanasia concerning a minor patient was declared in 2024, bringing to six the total number of cases since the extension of the law to minors in 2014.
