The Hague, Netherlands—The Netherlands’ only euthanasia clinic says it has received a surge in calls from overseas from people who want to end their lives, after a flurry of incorrect reports that it had helped a troubled teenager to die.
Since the wrongly reported story about 17-year-old Noa Pothoven went viral, the Levenseindekliniek (End-of-life clinic) in The Hague said it had received at least 25 foreign requests for help.
Pothoven—who published a book about her mental struggles following a childhood rape—was in fact not euthanized, but died on Sunday after refusing to eat and drink, her family and the government have said.
Steven Pleiter, the Levenseindekliniek managing director said it “was not aiming for euthanasia tourist traffic” to the Netherlands.
“That’s absolutely not what we are aiming for and why we were set up,” he told AFP in an interview.
“A person cannot just come to the Netherlands to be euthanized. It’s not like you arrive on Monday and you will have a euthanasia on Friday.”
The Netherlands is one of a handful of countries where euthanasia is legal and by law all inhabitants older than 12 are entitled to ask for it – but have to first fulfil a strict set of criteria.
‘End their lives in a decent manner’
Pleiter said the Levenseindekliniek was not involved in Pothoven’s death, but declined to comment on Pothoven’s claim in a newspaper interview in December that she had approached it to seek euthanasia or assisted suicide, but had been turned down because she was too young.
“I feel very sorry for Noa Pothoven, who found that she could not live any longer and could not have the help that she was looking for and that she had to end her life,” Pleiter said.
“Noa decided to end her life by stopping to eat and drink. The Levenseindekliniek was not involved in providing euthanasia to Noa,” he said.
“But that’s exactly what drives us to help as many people as we can. We try to help people end their lives in a decent manner,” he said.
Under Dutch laws legalizing euthanasia in 2002, children up to 16 need the permission of their parents and guardians, while parents must be involved in the process for children aged 16 and 17. From 18, any Dutch citizen may ask for assisted suicide.
In all cases, the patient must have “unbearable and endless suffering” and adhere to a strict set of conditions as set out by Dutch law.
Over the past seven years, the Levenseindekliniek has received between 12,000 to 13,000 requests for euthanasia, of which around 3,500 have been granted.
It has never euthanized any children, the youngest being a patient of 18 who complied with the strict Dutch regulations on euthanasia.
“It is very rare. It is very seldom that a younger person is euthanized,” Pleiter said.
“Providing euthanasia to a younger person doesn’t feel right. It’s very hard to get there and it’s a mental conflict,” he said.