A recent investigation by Fox Digital has uncovered a global lobbying effort to expand assisted suicide to mature minors, sparking fierce opposition from families and advocacy groups. The story centers on Markus Schouten, a 17-year-old Canadian who died in 2022 after opposing the expansion of assisted suicide rights to minors. His parents, Mike and Jennifer Schouten, now lead efforts to prevent the legalization of such practices, partnering with disability rights groups that argue the movement disproportionately affects vulnerable individuals. The assisted suicide industry, now valued at millions of dollars, has seen its scope expand significantly, with some nations already allowing minors to access medical assistance in dying. Critics warn that the policy’s boundaries are rapidly shifting, with legal frameworks like the ‘mature minor doctrine’ being used to justify granting minors autonomy over medical decisions, including the right to choose death. The growing concern is that this trend could lead to a normalization of end-of-life choices for children, raising ethical and legal questions.
The movement, which has become a multi-million-dollar industry, faces mounting criticism for its focus on vulnerable populations. In Canada, the euphemism ‘MAID’ (Medical Assistance in Dying) has softened the discussion, but the statistics are stark. In 2023, about 15,000 Canadians died through ‘MAID,’ one in every 20 deaths nation-wide, representing a 16% increase from 2022. This makes assisted suicide the fifth leading cause of death. The movement has also been criticized for its potential harm to young people, with some arguing that it could lead to ‘untold damage’ due to the influence of social media on youth mental health.
In the Netherlands, legal since 2002, the policy permits doctors to end lives of children as young as one, including newborns suffering unbearably. By 2024, euthanasia accounted for 9,958 deaths, or 5.8% of the country’s deaths. A recent study published in the International Journal of Psychiatry found that among Dutch euthanasia applicants, 73% were young women with psychiatric diagnoses including major depression, autism, eating disorder, trauma-related disorders, and a history of suicidality. The researchers acknowledged an ‘urgent need’ to study ‘persistent death wishes’ in this ‘high-risk group.’ One chilling case involved a 16- to 18-year-old boy with autism who ended his life after describing it as ‘joyless’ and ‘lonely,’ according to a 2024 report. His doctor ‘had no doubt about his decisional competence.’
The global push for such policies has drawn attention to the ethical and legal debates they spark. Pro-euthanasia groups argue that ‘mature minors should be allowed the right to choose MAID,’ calling it ‘unfair’ to deny a 17-year-old what a 70-year-old is granted. Critics like the Schouten family and disability rights groups warn that the policy’s expansion may lead to an increasing number of minors facing the option of assisted suicide. In the United Kingdom, the proposed ‘Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill’ has drawn similar concerns, with lawmakers fearing that the legislation could be expanded to include children if their amendments are not accepted.