The Netherlands has carried out its first euthanasia of a child under 12, two years after the country expanded its assisted dying law to include young children with incurable suffering, The Times reported, citing a minister. Dutch Health Minister Sophie Hermans disclosed the case in a letter to parliament on Monday. She said the “incurably ill” child died at the end of 2025, but gave no details about age, gender, illness, or location.
The death was reviewed by a medical committee that interviewed the doctor involved, and the case has now been sent to prosecutors to determine whether the legal safeguards were followed.
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How the law changed
As per Ynet Global, euthanasia has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002 under strict conditions for adults and, with parental consent, for children aged 12 and over. Newborns could also be euthanised in exceptional cases.
In 2024, the government extended the framework to children aged 1 to 12 who experience “unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement” and are expected to die in the foreseeable future. Officials estimated it would apply to only 5-10 children per year.
For children under 12, the law requires parental consent, confirmation that suffering is unbearable and irreversible, no reasonable alternative treatment, consultation with an independent doctor, and reporting to a regional review committee, which refers the case to prosecutors.
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What happens next
Every euthanasia case in the Netherlands must be reported and reviewed. If the committee finds the doctor did not meet the “due care” criteria, prosecutors can bring charges. Hermans said the committee has already spoken to the physician in this case and will share its findings with authorities.
The Netherlands remains one of only a few countries that allow euthanasia for young children; Belgium has permitted it since 2014. “Euthanasia is only allowed for patients whose unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement has a medical dimension,” the government states. “This can be the case with somatic diseases such as cancer or cardiovascular disease, but also with psychiatric disorders, dementia or multiple geriatric syndromes.”
The Dutch government also states that euthanasia is not permitted “in cases where a person is ‘finished with life’ or deems their life to be ‘completed.'”
