A seriously ill child under the age of 12 has been euthanised in the Netherlands. Since the practice was first introduced in the Netherlands the grounds on which it is available have widened greatly and the numbers availing of it have soared.

A medical review committee has referred the case to the Office of Public Prosecution for a criminal law review.

This is the first case of its kind under a 2023 law that extended ‘assisted dying’ to incurably sick children aged one to 12. Before the change, it was an option only for newborns and those over 12.

Under Dutch law, parents must be consulted, the child must be ‘suffering unbearably’ and there can be no hope of recovery.

After euthanasia, a review committee examines each case. If it is found to have not fully complied with the law, it is referred to the prosecution service for further investigation.

It is rare for such referrals to be made, and rarer still for them to result in a criminal trial.

In this instance, the child’s death and the referral to the public prosecution services was revealed in a letter to the Dutch parliament from Sophie Hermans, the Health minister. The euthanasia was carried out at the end of last year.