Identical twins have been killed by Belgian doctors in a unique case under the country’s euthanasia laws.
The 45-year-old brothers from the Antwerp region were born deaf and
sought euthanasia after finding out that they would soon go blind. They
told doctors that they were unable to bear the thought of not being able
to see each other again.
The twins, who have not been named but have been pictured on Belgian
television, had spent their entire lives together, sharing a flat and
working as cobblers.
Belgium’s Het Laatste Nieuws newspaper reported on the
weekend that doctors at Brussels University Hospital in Jette
“euthanized” the two men by lethal injection on Dec. 14.
Under Belgian law, euthanasia is allowed if those wishing to end
their lives are able to make their wishes clear and a doctor judges that
they are suffering unbearable pain.
David Dufour, the doctor who presided over the euthanasia, said the
twins had died together and had taken the decision in “full conscience.”
“They were very happy. It was a relief to see the end of their
suffering,” he said. “They had a cup of coffee in the hall, it went well
and a rich conversation. Then the separation from their parents and
brother was very serene and beautiful.”
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