A former Dutch prime minister, Dries van Agt, has died by euthanasia, with his wife Eugenie. They were both 93. Numbers availing of euthanasia in the Netherlands keep rising and the grounds keep expanding.
Their deaths last week are seen as part of a growing trend in the Netherlands for “duo euthanasia”.
Although still rare, euthanasia of couples was first noted in a review of all cases in 2020, when 26 people were granted euthanasia at the same time as their partners. The numbers grew to 32 the following year and 58 in 2022.
Elke Swart, spokesperson for the Expertisecentrum Euthanasie, which euthanizes about 1,000 people a year in the Netherlands, said, “Interest in this is growing, but it is still rare.”
