Netherlands: Teenage Rape Victim asks for Euthanasia
On June 2nd, Dutch rape victim Noa Pothoven died after asking for euthanasia. She was 17 years old.
“Maybe this comes as a surprise to some, give my posts about hospitalization, but my plan has been there for a long time and is not impulsive,” she wrote on Instagram.
While initial reports claimed her death was the result of euthanasia, witnesses say she passed away from anorexia.
Follow-up reports confirmed there were no signs of euthanasia.
“I have quit eating and drinking for a while now, and after many discussions and evaluations, it was decided to let me go because my suffering is unbearable,” she wrote. “I’m still breathing, but I’m not alive anymore.”
Pothoven developed anorexia, depression, and PTSD after she was molested and raped at ages 11, 12, and 14. She finally reported the attacks to police at age 16.
“I relive the fear, that pain every day,” wrote Pothoven in her memoir. “Always scared, always on my guard. And to this day my body still feels dirty…My house has been broken into, my body, that can never be undone.”
Pothoven was admitted to a hospital last year after her refusal to eat left her organs in critical condition. Doctors placed her into a medically-induced coma and attached tubes to provide nutrients. When she awoke, her request for euthanasia was turned down.
“They consider that I am too young to die,” Pothoven told reporters. “They think I should finish my trauma treatment and that my brain must first be fully grown. That lasts until your 21st birthday. It’s broken me, because I can’t wait that long.”
Euthanasia has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002, but only in cases of “hopeless and unbearable” suffering. Patients between the ages of 12-16 must obtain parental consent.
Rumors that Pothoven was euthanized stem from her recent conversation with the “end of life” clinic, a controversial facility where doctors reconsider patients’ requests for euthanasia.
Pothoven invoked her legal right not to be force-fed last week and passed away Sunday surrounded by friends and family.
Editor’s note: This is a tragic mishandling of a young girls life. Her “right” not to eat, her “right” to euthanasia and her eventual death at age 17 are the result of an extreme liberal society run amuck. This is a nightmare come true.
The liberals have destroyed everything they touch. They claim that everybody has a right to their own opinion but the difference between the liberal and the conservative is the liberal when they have opinion they want to force everybody to have the same opinion if they don’t have the same opinion they want to ruin their reputation ruin their life boycott their business and destroy them The conservative allows everyone to have their own opinion and if they don’t agree with them that’s fine but agree to disagree and go on with your life big difference between a liberal and a conservative
Absolutely True! ALL Liberal Democrats MUST be held in Internment Camps until they can actually convert to being human! They are ALL subhuman & Barack Obama made it popular to be Lawless, Insane sub-human! He will continue to destroy children if he is not eliminated from the face of the Earth!
Jesus Christ said,
“If anyone causes one of these little ones–those who believe in me–to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”
Matthew 18:6 NIV
I believe that if she chose not to eat, then that is her decision. I don’t believe she has a RIGHT to euthanasia. It is understandable how she arrived at her decision not to live anymore. I don’t know about the Netherlands but in our country I think that the government does not want you to kill yourself because you will be killing a taxpayer- other than that, the government does not really care about you as an individual. Business wants you to be alive so you will be a consumer but on the other hand, DEMONocrats with their liberal groups are constantly trying to put a guilt trip on you for simply existing.
So you think that a child who is mentally ill from massively traumatic experiences should should just be left to die?
Where are the Dutch psycho-therapists for this innocent minor? What happened to her rapists? How can any professional psychiatrists or psychologists not endeavor to ask a clergyman to give counseling for the spiritual benefit of this person who was violated? These details are missing. Why?
Actually in her country she is above the age of legal consent, she is not considered a minor. Many people feel ‘there is always a way’, well sometimes there’s not. The darkness of depression is so deep that unless you’ve been there, you can’t understand. Therapy costs money that a lot of us don’t have, medications cost money that many of us don’t have. For her, this was the correct choice that SHE made.
I refuse to believe she was beyond help.
Did she ever name her Rapist and was he ever brought to Trial and Convicted and sent to Prison I feel sorry for her Parents Loss
As it has been said…….liberalism wherever it’s located is a social disease. I guess this girl was blamed for the rapes. I would have preferred this article identify who those multiple rapist were….!! I feel soooo sad for her.
People miss the point about life almost every time. Your life is not your own. It is a gift from God and everyone has a sacred obligation to live it to its full potential.
It’s not that simple. Your covenant with the Almighty is your own and not to be imposed on others. In spiritual matters free will is the trump card. In societal matters this child was left without good guidance to help her through her horrific trauma and that is the crime.
Maybe she wasn’t a Christian? For her then there would be no ‘sacred’ obligation to live. We can’t judge her without knowing her.
You may be right about her not being a Christian. But my problem is that she is making this decision when she is essentially still a child.
This just hurts my heart. I have suffered from severe depressions and there are really good medications out there, and really good Physicians that are so great in helping you thru Mental Health issues. There are lots of studies that have been conducted regarding people who suffer from depressions and it is very interesting, not only in gathering the information but in helping those who are in the depths of it understanding how and why some of us are more prone to this disease while other’s are not. It doesn’t happen because of any type of weakness either. It comes from a place of strength in coping with unbelievable situations that no one should ever have to deal with outside of yourself. It’s a breaking down of your spirit and intelligence from outside of yourself. It’s surprising to find out that extremely intelligent people suffer this more often then most folks realize and generally it begins at an early age.
Wonderful post. How can you allow someone so young to be alone with so much pain?