The Netherlands has reported its first euthanasia case involving a child under 12 since expanding its assisted dying regulations in 2024.
The new Dutch regulation applies only to children with unbearable suffering and no prospect of improvement when no reasonable treatment options remain.
The case is undergoing a routine legal review by Dutch prosecutors as part of the country's mandatory euthanasia oversight process.
Dutch officials estimate the regulation will apply to only five to ten children annually under strict eligibility criteria.
The Netherlands remains one of the few countries that legally permit euthanasia under comprehensive medical, ethical, and legal safeguards.
The Netherlands has recorded its first case of euthanasia involving a child under the age of 12 since expanding its euthanasia regulations in 2024, marking a significant development in the country's long-standing assisted dying framework.
As reported by The Times, Dutch Health Minister Sophie Hermans confirmed the case in a letter presented to the Dutch Parliament on June 22 while submitting the annual report of the committee responsible for reviewing late-term pregnancy terminations and medically assisted deaths involving minors. The child, who was suffering from a serious and incurable medical condition causing unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement, underwent euthanasia at the end of 2025. Authorities did not disclose the child's age, gender, diagnosis, or any identifying details to protect privacy.
As required under Dutch law, the case has been referred to the Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie), which will determine whether the physician complied with all legal requirements. As with every reported euthanasia case in the Netherlands, prosecutors routinely review each case to determine whether the statutory due care criteria were met. This legal review is a standard safeguard and does not in itself indicate suspected wrongdoing. Every euthanasia case in the Netherlands undergoes an independent legal and medical review before it is formally closed.
The reported death is the first known case involving a child aged between one and 12 years since the Netherlands introduced new regulations in 2024 for this age group.
The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia under strict conditions in 2002 through the Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act.
Before the legal change, euthanasia was already permitted for newborns under one year of age under separate medical regulations and for patients aged 12 years and older under the country's existing euthanasia law. For infants younger than one year, end of life decisions are governed under separate medical and prosecutorial guidance commonly known as the Groningen Protocol framework, rather than the 2002 Euthanasia Act. Children between one and 12 years previously did not have access to euthanasia, even if they experienced unbearable suffering. Instead, treatment focused on palliative sedation or allowing the disease to progress naturally.
The 2024 regulation was introduced to address what Dutch authorities described as a small group of terminally ill children whose suffering could not be relieved despite the best available medical and palliative care. The regulation followed recommendations from pediatric experts who concluded that a small number of children aged 1 to 12 experienced hopeless and unbearable suffering but fell outside the existing legal framework for euthanasia. Government estimates suggested the regulation would likely apply to only five to ten children annually. Dutch authorities have also emphasized that the regulation is expected to apply only to an exceptionally small number of children each year
The Netherlands maintains some of the world's strictest legal safeguards for euthanasia, and the rules for children are particularly stringent.
Under the regulation, euthanasia is only considered when a child has a serious and incurable medical condition causing hopeless and unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement, experiences unbearable suffering with no realistic prospect of recovery, and no reasonable medical or palliative alternative exists to relieve that suffering. Physicians must establish that continuing treatment cannot improve the child's condition.
The decision must be made jointly by the treating physician and the child's parents or legal guardians. Doctors are also expected to involve the child in discussions whenever the child's age and level of understanding make meaningful participation possible. Medical guidelines further require physicians to ensure that the child does not oppose the decision if they are capable of expressing their wishes.
An independent physician must review the case before the procedure, and every euthanasia case is subsequently evaluated by an independent review committee. If concerns arise, the matter is referred to prosecutors to determine whether the doctor acted within the law.
Minister Hermans said the review committee has already examined the case and interviewed the physician involved before forwarding its assessment to prosecutors.
The Public Prosecution Service will now determine whether the doctor fulfilled all legal due-care requirements. This review is a routine legal safeguard and does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing.
Authorities have not released further information regarding the child's illness or the circumstances surrounding the decision, citing patient confidentiality.
The Netherlands remains one of only a small number of countries that legally permit euthanasia under strict statutory conditions. The country's assisted dying laws continue to attract international ethical, legal, and medical debate, particularly regarding eligibility criteria and safeguards for children and other vulnerable patients.
Reference:
Government of the Netherlands. Termination of Life for Terminally Ill Children Aged 1 to 12. Accessed June 25, 2026. https://www.government.nl/themes/family-health-and-care/euthanasia/termination-of-life-for-terminally-ill-children-aged-1-to-12
Government of the Netherlands. Is Euthanasia Allowed? Last modified 2013. Accessed June 25, 2026. https://www.government.nl/themes/family-health-and-care/euthanasia/is-euthanasia-allowed
Verhagen E, de Winter JP, et al. "The Dutch Model for Regulating Paediatric Euthanasia." Archives of Disease in Childhood. Published 2024. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12013537/
(Rh/ARC/MSM)
