Dries van Agt, a prominent figure in Dutch politics and the former Prime Minister of the Netherlands, and his wife Eugenie, chose to end their lives through the practice of duo euthanasia. The couple, both 93, passed away in their hometown, Nijmegen, holding hands.
Dries van Agt was the Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 1977 to 1982. During this period, he also became the inaugural leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal party. His entire political journey was marked by a commitment to his values. Even after his time in office, he founded The Rights Forum in 2009, an organization dedicated to advocating for Palestinian rights.
The Rights Forum That Van Agt Had Founded Announces The News
The news of the couple’s passing was given in an official announcement by The Rights Forum. The concept of duo euthanasia, while still relatively uncommon, is part of a growing trend in the Netherlands, in which two people receive a fatal injection simultaneously. 58 cases have been reported in 2022.
“In consultation with the immediate family, we announce that our founder and honorary chairman Dries van Agt passed away on Monday, February 5, in his hometown of Nijmegen. He died together and hand in hand with his beloved wife Eugenie van Agt-Krekelberg, the support with whom he was together for more than seventy years, and whom he always continued to refer to as ‘my girl’. The funeral took place privately. Van Agt and his wife were both 93 years old,” read the statement translated from Dutch.
Duo Euthanasia Must Meet Stringent Dutch Law Criteria
According to a report by the Guardian, Elke Swart, spokesperson for the Expertisecentrum Euthanasie said that each request for assisted death is rigorously evaluated on a case-to-case basis in order to meet the stringent criteria set by Dutch law.
“Interest in this is growing, but it is still rare,” she was quoted as saying. “It is pure chance that two people are suffering unbearably with no prospect of relief at the same time, and that they both wish for euthanasia,” she said.
The funeral of Van Agt and Eugenie van Agt-Krekelberg was held privately.
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