The Local France

Euthanasia: one woman's final journey from France to Belgium

Wed, 14 Feb 2024 09:45:30 +0100

Born hemiplegic, nearly blind, 43-year-old Lydie Imhoff was gradually losing the use of her limbs. Last year, she decided to travel from her native France to Belgium to undergo euthanasia - for "fear of living in a dead body",

French MPs to debate legalising euthanasia

Wed, 07 Apr 2021 14:46:36 +0200

A bill to legalise euthanasia goes before a deeply divided French parliament on Thursday, with right-wingers planning to torpedo any vote with thousands of amendments and the government not taking sides.

UN body weighs in on French right-to-die case

Sun, 05 May 2019 17:40:20 +0200

A UN committee has asked France to suspend any decision to withdraw life support for a man kept alive in a vegetative state for a decade, weighing in on a bitterly-disputed legal case which has torn his family apart.

French euthanasia doctor cannot return to work, European court rules

Thu, 11 Apr 2019 17:07:06 +0200

A French doctor struck off for killing terminally ill patients cannot return to work, the European Court of Human Rights ruled on Thursday.

French euthanasia doctor in suicide bid

Sat, 31 Oct 2015 17:52:42 +0100

An emergency room doctor in France who was convicted of poisoning a terminally ill patient has attempted to kill himself, sources close to the case said on Saturday.

Court convicts French euthanasia doctor

Sun, 25 Oct 2015 11:01:09 +0100

A French appeal court on Saturday partially overturned the acquittal of a French emergency room doctor for the poisoning deaths of seven terminally ill patients, handing him a suspended two-year sentence.

Video deepens row over Frenchman's 'right to die'

Wed, 10 Jun 2015 14:35:07 +0200

The case of a brain-damaged Frenchman who seems set to be taken off life support shook France anew on Wednesday, after his friends and family uploaded a video which they say proves that he is "far from the end of his life".

Europe backs France on right to die verdict

Fri, 05 Jun 2015 13:29:18 +0200

Europe's rights court upheld on Friday the decision of a French court to allow a man in a vegetative state to be taken off life support, in a ruling that could become a benchmark on the continent.

France passes law to ease 'end-of-life' distress

Tue, 17 Mar 2015 18:20:46 +0100

UPDATED: French MPs gave the green light on Tuesday to a controversial law that would allow medics to place terminally ill patients into a deep sleep until they die.

France mulls legalizing 'terminal sedation'

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 14:14:00 +0100

A new bill proposes a change to the laws on euthanasia by legalising terminal sedation and allowing people to decide whether they want to be kept alive artificially.

French pensioners in hospital 'suicide pact'

Tue, 25 Nov 2014 13:04:00 +0100

In what was an apparent suicide pact, an 84-year-old man entered the hospital ward of his 82-year-old terminally ill wife and shot her before turning the gun on himself. The tragedy has reignited France’s debate on assisted suicide.

French doctor acquitted of euthanasia deaths

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 14:56:00 +0200

A French doctor was acquitted on Wednesday of killing seven terminally patients in hospital, a decision that drew applause in the courtroom. The ruling comes as France continues to grapple with the idea of legalized euthanasia.

European court blocks French life support ruling

Wed, 25 Jun 2014 10:56:00 +0200

Just hours after a top French court gave the go-ahead on Tuesday to remove life support from a man in a vegetative state the European Court of Human Rights stepped in to block the decision and urged a delay pending a review of the case.

Court: French wife can't euthanize husband

Fri, 17 Jan 2014 12:29:00 +0100

Though euthanasia is legal in France, a court said on Thursday a man in a vegatative state must be kept alive. The ruling comes as France, after several tragic end-of-life stories, grapples with whether the law is just and moral.

Hollande urged to make assisted suicide legal

Mon, 16 Dec 2013 15:23:00 +0100

Is France set to push through another divisive social reform? After gay marriage and prostitution the next thorny topic on François Hollande's agenda could be euthanasia after a panel set up by the president recommended legalizing assisted suicide on Monday.

France set to reject Swiss-style euthanasia

Mon, 01 Jul 2013 19:18:00 +0200

France's medical ethics advisory council has voted against the legalization of ‘active’ euthanasia, as found in Swiss clinics such as Dignitas, it was announced on Monday. French President François Hollande has promised a law on the issue by the end of 2013.

Euthanasia should be permitted: ethics council

Thu, 14 Feb 2013 11:29:00 +0100

France's medical ethics council said Thursday that euthanasia should be allowed in exceptional cases and when suffering patients make "persistent and lucid requests."

Doctors should be able to 'speed up death': report

Tue, 18 Dec 2012 18:18:08 +0100

France should allow doctors to "accelerate the coming of death" for terminally ill patients, a report to President François Hollande recommended Tuesday.

Campaign puts Sarkozy on his deathbed

Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:59:40 +0100

Pro-euthanasia activists have launched a shock campaign to promote assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. The ad campaign shows three centrist and right-wing presidential candidates on their deathbeds.