The euthanasia of the young Dutch woman had not been …

The circumstances surrounding the death of Noa Pothoven, the 17-year-old Dutch woman who had asked for euthanasia, are unclear. The news that circulated initially around the world, and so he recorded Page / 12it was the young woman who could never overcome the badual abuse she suffered while a girl was undergoing death badistance, as provided for by the Dutch law. Euthanasia was not allowed, however. Pothoven refused to eat and drink, although there was no evidence that the doctors helped her to die.

Pothoven died in his house in Arhem. By early 2018, he had gone to the Leveneind clinic in The Hague without his parents being aware to ask if they could authorize euthanasia, but the state rejected his request.

"They think I am too young to die, they think I have to finish the trauma treatment and that my brain must first be fully developed, it will last until the age of 21 I am devastated because I can not wait, "he said at the time. young victim of badual violence on at least three occasions.

Pothoven was suffering from anxiety, depression and severe anorexia as a result of the abuse she had suffered at the age of 11 and 14, who had her conduct on other occasions to commit suicide. Last year he had arrived at Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem in critical condition, with low and severe weight and the threat of vital organ failure. He had even been in a coma to feed him artificially with a probe.

The Netherlands allows euthanasia under strict conditions. Pothoven, being a minor, needed an authorization that he had not obtained. The Dutch law governing aid to the death penalty requires that the suffering of the patient be unbearable, without prospect of improvement, and his request must be made voluntarily and not under the influence of third parties. The patient must also have been fully informed of his condition, his prospects and his options, another independent doctor must accept the request and a doctor must be present during the procedure, whether by the doctor or by the patient. For children from 12 to 16 years, parental permission is required.

Noa left her testimony in an autobiographical book, "Win or Learn". "I was thinking for a moment about whether or not to share this, but I decided to do it, which may come as a surprise to some, given my hospitalization literature, but my plan is not impulsive. years of fighting, I'm exhausted, it's been a while since I stopped eating and drinking and, after many discussions and evaluations, I decided to give up because my suffering is unbearable, "she said. he writes on Instagram. "Love, in this case, is letting go," he said in the same publication in which he asked his supporters not to try to persuade her.