Italy Slaps Down The Dutch Penchant For Killing

Good for Italy. A Dutch husband and his wife, who is in a persistently nonresponsive state, live in Italy. He’s trying to kill her under Dutch law, but, commendably, the Italians aren’t biting.

Dutch euthanasia directive doesn’t travel

What is the validity of a written "euthanasia directive" that details a Dutch citizen's wish to die for authorities in another European country? Answer: it has no validity, at least not in Italy. De Volkskrant recounts the story of a Dutch-Italian Anne Busato (age 63), who has remained in a vegetative state following a stroke in 2009. Twenty years ago Ms Busato went to the trouble of writing a request that she be removed from life support in the event of a persistent vegetative state or irreversible coma. However, her husband has not been able to obtain permission to carry out her wishes. The euthanasia law that applies in the Netherlands, does not apply for Dutch citizens living abroad. “The Italians believe that euthanasia is murder. They say that in the Netherlands, we kill all kinds of sick people, sometimes even babies,” explains her husband to Volkskrant. To bring his wife back to the Netherlands, he has taken a case to the Hague to be recognised as her legal guardian, but Italy refuses to acknowledge the court ruling. more