An 80-year-old man from Breda has been given a 12-month suspended prison sentence by a court in The Hague for inciting suicide. This is reportedly the first conviction in the Netherlands for such an offense, according to the Public Prosecution Service.
The judge stated that the accused exceeded the boundaries of permissible assistance. The elderly man, Hans D., encouraged a 32-year-old woman from Bodegraven to end her life using a lethal suicide powder known as ‘X’.
The prosecution had sought a 14-month sentence with 7 months suspended. Both D. and the woman were members of the Cooperative Last Will (CLW), an organization advocating for increased options for individuals to end their lives voluntarily.
The woman purchased the substance, and D. provided her with instructions and encouragement via WhatsApp. In November 2021, nearly three weeks after their initial contact, the woman took her own life.
This case marks the first conviction for incitement to suicide in the Netherlands, although two individuals were convicted last July for distributing the substance. Two CLW members were held responsible for supplying the substance and given suspended sentences.
In 2023, Stichting 113 Suicide Prevention and GGD Amsterdam found that since 2015, at least 172 individuals had died using the substance, with an average age of 59.
Source: NOS