Netherlands confirm first euthanasia death of child under 12

A child under the age of 12 has been euthanised in the Netherlands, the Dutch government has said.

A law surrounding assisted dying had been changed in 2024, allowing for terminally ill under-12s to end their lives on their terms for the first time. Previously, this group were only permitted to die via palliative sedation or refusing food and water, allowing them to 'die naturally'.

At the time, euthanasia for children over 12 and newborns was also only granted with mandatory consent from their parents.

Upon the introduction of the new law, it was expected that between five and 10 such cases of under-12 euthanasia would be approved per year.

It was still ruled that parents would need to be consulted, and the child must be living with an unbearable, incurable condition, as laid down in the Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act.

No personal information about the child has been revealed (Getty Stock Images)

"The doctor will involve the child, insofar as they are capable, in the decision and must be satisfied that the child’s life is not being ended against their will," the official guidance says.

The law change came after the Netherlands became the first country to legalise euthanasia for patients experiencing either physical or mental suffering in 2002, following mass support from the public.

The first case involving a seriously ill child under 12, who died at the end of 2025, was recently brought to a committee responsible for reviewing all late-term abortions and medically assisted child deaths.

Dutch health minister Sophie Hermans explained, while presenting the committee's annual report, that the pre-teen's case had been referred to the Public Prosecution Service (OM).

The law was introduced in 2024 (Getty Stock Images)

Their exact age, gender and medical condition have been kept anonymous.

As per the usual protocol for euthanasia cases, the committee will decide if doctors involved in the case complied with strict rules, which are in place to prevent medics from ever being charged with unlawful killing of one of their patients.

The OM's verdict will be made public in the coming weeks, though an official date hasn't yet been set.

The Dutch government's website describes termination of life as 'when a physician administers the substances to the patient', while 'assisted suicide' is 'when the physician hands a lethal substance to the patient who then ingests it', both of which fall into

Below, the word 'euthanasia' is used to refer to both forms of helping a person to die.

For advice, support, and more information, you can contact the nurse-led specialist team at Compassion in Dying via their helpline 0800 999 2434. You can also email them at [email protected].

Additionally, if you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.