International media appears to have gotten it literally all wrong. Initially, it was widely reported that Pothoven had requested euthanisia and was granted the right to die. However it appears that such was never the case, and in fact, it was never the even a plausibility.
Buzzfeed News reports that Pothoven actually died after having refused food and water not as it was originally claimed. Of course, the original story appeared in none other than The Mail Online — the world’s most prolific journalistic troll.
We’d like to make it perfectly clear for those that aren’t in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands it is perfectly legal for someone to request euthanasia, although, it must go toe-to-toe within the law.
The Royal Dutch Medical Association released the following statement disputing nearly all parts of the Mail ‘s story and reiterating how euthanasia actually works in the country.
“The RDMA feels the urge to correct the misreporting, because it gives a wrong impression of Dutch law and practice.
“Euthanasia can be performed under strict conditions on persons who suffer unbearably and hopeless from a medical condition.”
“Under Dutch law, euthanasia is defined as the active termination of life, by a physician, at a patient’s voluntary and well-informed request. Euthanasia can be performed under strict conditions on persons who suffer unbearably and hopeless from a medical condition.”
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