Dutch Health Minister Sophie Hermans confirmed on June 23 that a terminally ill child under the age of 12 was euthanized in the Netherlands in late 2025, the first case since the country extended assisted dying to children aged 1 to 12 under a 2024 law change.
Hermans disclosed the case in a letter to parliament but did not include the child’s age, sex, or medical condition. The case has been referred to the Public Prosecution Service (OM). The review committee spoke with the attending physician and forwarded its assessment to prosecutors for a legal determination.
The 2024 amendment to the Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide (Review Procedures) Act extended eligibility to children aged 1 to 12. Under the law, physicians must confirm unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement, obtain independent medical consultation, and exhaust all reasonable alternatives, including palliative care. Parents must consent, and the child must be consulted where possible.
When Dutch lawmakers passed the 2024 amendment, government officials projected five to 10 cases per year. In the nearly two years since the law took effect, one case has been confirmed.
The Regional Euthanasia Review Committees (RTE) recorded 10,341 euthanasia cases in the Netherlands in 2025, a 3.8% rise over 2024, with only one case involving a minor (a teenager between 12 and 18). Around 85% of all cases involved patients with physical conditions such as cancer and lung disease. Three in four cases involved patients over 70.
The Netherlands first legalized euthanasia in 2002. Before the 2024 amendment, children under the age of 12 (and above 1 year old) were ineligible and could receive only palliative sedation. Belgium has permitted assisted death for children of all ages since 2014.
“The end of life for this group is the only reasonable alternative to the child’s unbearable and hopeless suffering,” the Dutch government stated when the amendment passed.
