Netherlands: First Euthanasia of a Child Under 12 - Europe Crosses a Threshold

Context

We had followed the French debate on assisted dying and the progressive expansions of Dutch legislation. On June 23, 2026, Le Figaro revealed that the Netherlands had performed euthanasia on a child under 12 for the first time, under a regulation that came into force in 2024.

The Facts

Since 2024, the Netherlands has allowed euthanasia for children aged one to twelve suffering from incurable diseases and "enduring unbearable suffering." A first case has been carried out. Details about the child's identity and pathology have not been made public.

This development follows the documented trajectory of Dutch legislation: adult euthanasia decriminalized in 1984, legalized in 2002 (the law already included 12-16-year-olds, with parental consent for 12-15-year-olds and autonomous decision-making for 16-17-year-olds); extended to children aged one to twelve in 2024. Each step was preceded by the same assurance: "the safeguards are sufficient."

France is currently examining a bill on "assisted dying," whose motion of rejection just failed in the National Assembly on June 23, 2026.

Doctrinal Analysis

The euthanasia of a child is a particularly grave transgression. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us that "the human being must be respected and treated as a person from the moment of conception" (CCC 2270) and that human life is sacred "because from its beginning it involves the creative action of God" (CCC 2258).

A child cannot validly consent to their own death: consent is here delegated to parents and doctors, which amounts to recognizing in third parties a right of life and death over a person incapable of defending themselves. Evangelium Vitae is explicit: "Direct euthanasia, whether at the patient's request or not, is morally unacceptable" (EV 65). A fortiori when it concerns a child.

Stakes for the Church and the Faithful

This first Dutch case is a wake-up call for France and all European countries examining similar legislation. Euthanasia laws do not stabilize at their initial criteria: they expand. Belgium, which legalized euthanasia in 2002 with "strict safeguards," now practices euthanasia for depressed individuals not in the terminal phase of illness.

The French episcopate and pro-life associations must address this precedent in their public and parliamentary interventions: this is not an abstract risk but a proven, dated, and documented fact.

Critical Reading and Blind Spots

Supporters of the French law will argue that their text contains "safeguards" absent from Dutch legislation. The history of euthanasia laws in Europe shows that these safeguards have never withstood the pressure of "borderline" cases, which, once admitted as exceptions, become the rule.

The major political blind spot is the absence of a European debate: no EU institution has initiated a cross-cutting reflection on the ethical coherence of national end-of-life legislation. The Irish presidency of the EU could be an opportunity to launch it.

To Reflect and Act Upon

"Let the little children come to me" (Mk 10:14). A child's life is not a burden that society can decide to discard. Writing to your MP before the final vote on the French law, spreading information about this Dutch precedent, supporting pediatric palliative care associations: these are the actions of the moment.