The Netherlands has recorded its first euthanasia case involving a child under 12 since the law was expanded in 2024, according to a letter Health Minister Sophie Hermans sent to parliament with the annual review of pediatric late-termination and medically assisted death cases. The child died through euthanasia at the end of 2025 after a severe illness. No details were released about the child’s identity or medical condition.
The case has been referred to the Public Prosecution Service, as required under Dutch law for every euthanasia case, to check whether doctors followed all legal rules and procedures. The review committee also spoke with the physician involved and will pass its findings to the authorities.
The Netherlands first legalized voluntary euthanasia in April 2002, becoming the first country in the world to do so. Under the expanded rules adopted in 2024, euthanasia can also be considered for children under 12 who are terminally ill and suffering unbearably with no realistic chance of improvement, with the decision made jointly by the doctor and parents, and where possible, with the child as well.
Israeli physician and ethics lecturer Prof. Yechiel Bar-Ilan said the issue has long been morally and publicly controversial in the Netherlands. He noted that in Israel euthanasia is completely prohibited, while in the Netherlands and Belgium doctors and families sometimes make joint decisions when continued life is judged to mean extreme suffering with no real prospect of recovery. Dutch authorities had estimated that the new framework might lead to five to ten pediatric euthanasia cases a year, making this the first publicly reported case since the change took effect.
