Netherlands validates first euthanasia case for child under 12

Dutch authorities have validated the first case of euthanasia for a child under the age of 12 since the expansion of the law in 2024. The case involved a child under two years old who passed away in late 2025 following severe, incurable pathologies.

Born prematurely at 26 weeks, the child suffered from significant brain damage resulting in severe cerebral palsy, visual impairments, frequent treatment-resistant epilepsy, and respiratory and swallowing difficulties. A review commission determined that the child’s health condition made it impossible to survive into adulthood and that no medical intervention could sufficiently alleviate the suffering.

The commission concluded that the physician acted with ‘due care,’ noting that the child’s motor abilities, behavior, and personality were severely altered with no prospect of improvement. Under the 2024 regulations, euthanasia for children aged 1 to 12 is permitted only in exceptional circumstances involving terminal illness and ‘hopeless and unbearable’ suffering where no other reasonable solutions exist. Parental consent is mandatory, and the procedure is intended as a last resort in the most extreme cases.