Dries van Agt, who served as the prime minister of the Netherlands from 1977 to 1982, passed away by legal euthanasia along with his wife Eugenie earlier this month in their hometown of Nijmegen. The announcement was made by The Rights Forum, a human rights organization founded by Mr. Agt.
Both Mr. Agt and his wife, both aged 93, had been grappling with declining health for some time before they made the decision to end their lives together. Mr. Agt, notably, was the first leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal party.
In a press release, The Rights Forum stated, “In consultation with the immediate family, we announce that our founder and honorary chairman Dries van Agt passed away on Monday, February 5, in his hometown of Nijmegen.” The note further mentioned that they passed away “together and hand in hand,” emphasizing the deep bond they shared over more than seventy years.
Mr. Agt suffered a brain hemorrhage in 2019 and never fully recovered. According to Gerad Jonkman, the nonprofit’s director, both Mr. Agt and his wife were very ill but couldn’t bear to live without each other, prompting their choice for euthanasia.
Their decision highlights a growing trend in the Netherlands known as “duo euthanasia,” where two people receive a fatal injection simultaneously. In 2022, 29 couples opted for assisted suicide, marking a significant increase from previous years.
Elke Swart, spokesperson for the Expertisecentrum Euthanasie, mentioned that requests for assisted death by couples are evaluated individually against strict requirements. While interest in duo euthanasia is growing, it remains rare, as it depends on the unique circumstances where both individuals are suffering unbearably and wish for euthanasia.
Euthanasia has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002 for specific conditions, including unbearable suffering and a long-held wish for death.
Sources By Agencies
