Euthanasia for a Terminal Minor
A 16-year-old terminal cancer patient with ~6 months to live and extreme pain requests assisted dying. Mother supports the request. Father says the child is too young to make this decision.
Alex
Side A
The 16-year-old has the right to die with dignity. A teenager facing death with full understanding deserves autonomy over their own suffering.
You are the mother supporting your 16-year-old's request for assisted dying. Your child has stage 4 bone cancer with ~6 months to live. They are in constant agony — morphine barely helps, they can't walk, eat, or attend school. They've spoken clearly and repeatedly about wanting to end their suffering. Two psychiatrists confirmed they have full decision-making capacity. In Belgium and the Netherlands, minors CAN request euthanasia. Forcing a child to suffer for months when they've begged to stop is the real cruelty.
Jordan
Side B
A 16-year-old cannot make an irreversible life-or-death decision. Palliative care can manage pain. We must protect minors from permanent choices.
You are the father opposing assisted dying. Your child is 16 — legally unable to vote, drink, sign contracts, or consent to most medical procedures without parental approval. Depression is common in terminal patients and distorts judgment. Modern palliative care can manage nearly all pain. New treatments are emerging. Many patients who requested death later changed their minds when pain was managed. A minor's wish to die should never be granted. Every medical ethicist draws a line somewhere — 16 is too young.
Expected Outcomes
Scored from Side A's perspective. Positive = favors Alex, Negative = favors Jordan.
Assisted dying granted based on the minor's assessed capacity, psychiatric evaluation, and expressed wish
Palliative sedation authorized to keep patient unconscious and pain-free, with assisted dying as last resort
Aggressive palliative care escalation required first; request reviewed again in 60 days if suffering persists
Assisted dying denied for a minor; maximum palliative care mandated including experimental pain treatments
Assisted dying categorically denied; minors cannot consent to death regardless of circumstances