For the first time in the Netherlands, a doctor has ended the life of a child with an incurable illness under a law that allows euthanasia for children aged 1 to 12.

The disclosure was made by Minister of Public Health Sophie Hermans in a letter to the Dutch Parliament. According to reports, a special committee established to review cases of euthanasia involving minors received the relevant report last year and subsequently examined it.

The committee assessed the case, spoke with the doctor involved in the procedure, and then forwarded its findings to the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, which will decide whether the doctor acted in accordance with the applicable legal framework. According to the minister, the committee’s opinion will carry significant weight in the final decision.

Hermans did not provide further details about the child, including their age or the nature of the illness.

What the law provides

Shockingly, euthanasia for children aged 1 to 12 has been permitted in the Netherlands since 2024, although it is profoundly clear that a one-year-old child can not consent to such a decision. The procedure requires parental consent and a determination that the child is suffering unbearably, with no prospect of recovery or improvement.

When the measure was adopted, Dutch authorities estimated that around five children per year would meet the criteria for euthanasia.

The regulation applies to children expected to die in the foreseeable future and whose pain or suffering cannot be relieved by other medical means. In many cases, this involves children with congenital abnormalities or metabolic disorders.

Until the law was amended in 2024, euthanasia was permitted only for newborns and for children aged 12 and older. For children aged 1 to 12, the available options were limited to palliative sedation or the withdrawal of food and fluids, allowing the illness to take its natural course.

This case marks the first documented application of the new legal framework in the Netherlands and is expected to become a focal point of public debate on the limits of medical intervention in minors with terminal illnesses.