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Agence France-Presse

A Belgian woman who murdered her five children in a case that shocked the country has been euthanised at her own request, 16 years to the day after their killing, her lawyer said.
Genevieve Lhermitte slit the throats of her son and four daughters aged three to 14 with a kitchen knife at the family home in the town of Nivelles on February 28, 2007 while their father was away.
She then tried to commit suicide by stabbing herself, but the attempt failed and she ended up calling the emergency services.
Lhermitte was sentenced to life in prison in 2008, before being moved to a psychiatric hospital in 2019.
The 56-year-old’s lawyer Nicolas Cohen confirmed reports in local media that his client had died through euthanasia on the 16th anniversary of the killings on Tuesday.
Belgian law allows for people to choose to be euthanised if they are deemed to have “unbearable” psychological, and not just physical, suffering that cannot be healed.
Assisted suicide pod now legal in Switzerland offers ‘painless death’
The person must be conscious of their decision and be able to express their wish in a reasoned and consistent manner.
“It is this specific procedure that Mrs Lhermitte followed, with the various medical opinions having been collected,” her lawyer said.
Psychologist Emilie Maroit told the RTL-TVI channel that Lhermitte likely chose to die on February 28 in a “symbolic gesture in respect for her children”.
“It may also have been for her to finish what she started because basically she wanted to end her life when she killed them,” Maroit said.
The quintuple murder in 2007 and the subsequent trial rocked Belgium.
Lhermitte’s lawyers argued that their client, who had regularly seen a psychiatrist, was mentally disturbed and should not be sent to prison.
But the jury found her guilty of premeditated murder and sentenced her to life in jail after hearing conflicting medical expertise.
In 2010 Lhermitte filed a civil lawsuit demanding up to €3 million (US$3.18 million) from a former psychiatrist alleging his “inaction” had failed to prevent the murders, but she ended up abandoning the legal battle after ten years without success.
Last year 2,966 people died via euthanasia in Belgium, an increase of 10 per cent compared to 2021, according to the authorities.
Cancer remains the number one reason cited, but officials said for nearly three out of four requests the patient presented “several types of suffering, both physical and psychological”.
If you are having suicidal thoughts, or you know someone who is, help is available. For Hong Kong, dial +852 2896 0000 for The Samaritans or +852 2382 0000 for Suicide Prevention Services. In the US, call The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on +1 800 273 8255. For a list of other nations’ helplines, see this page


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Crime

Belgian mother who killed 5 children euthanised at her own request

Genevieve Lhermitte in 2008, at the start of her murder trial. File photo: AFP

Assisted suicide pod now legal in Switzerland offers ‘painless death’

‘Sarco machines’ – 3D-printed capsules designed for use in assisted suicide – have passed a legal review and can operate in Switzerland. Photo: Exit International

Philip Nitschke, founder of Exit International, with the assisted-suicide pod dubbed the ‘Sarco machine’. Photo: Exit International

Canada seeks to delay euthanasia for mentally ill

Canada approved doctor-assisted suicide for the terminally ill in 2016. This was expanded in 2021 to include adults with serious and chronic physical conditions that were not life-threatening. Photo: EPA-EFE

Chief Executive John Lee rejects suggestion for new discussion on euthanasia in Hong Kong

Retired electrician Kwok Wai-yin was put on probation for a year at the High Court after he admitted killing his terminally ill wife. Photo: Handout.

Chief Executive John Lee at a press briefing on Tuesday, where he rejected examination of the law banning assisted suicide and mercy killings. Photo: Jonathan Wong

Spain’s PM hails ‘humane, fairer, freer’ nation as euthanasia, assisted suicide is legalised

A man in Madrid holds a placard reading ‘To choose to die without suffering’ during a demonstration in support of a law legalising euthanasia. Photo: AFP

epa09081426 Manuela Sanles, Ramon Sampedro's sister-in-law, shows a photo of Sampedro in his room, in their house at Porto do Son, Galicia, north-western Spain, 18 March 2021. The family have kept unchanged Ramon's room for 23 years, from where Ramon Sampedro led the fight for years for the euthanasia law, after becoming a quadriplegic in an accident on a beach in Galicia in 1968. Spain's parliament gave on 18 March the final approval to a law legalising euthanasia, becoming one of the few nations to allow terminally-ill or gravely-injured patients to end their own suffering. The story of Ramon Sampedro and his 28-year campaign in support of euthanasia and the right to end his life is told in the film 'The Sea Inside' ('Mar Adentro') (2004), by Spanish film-maker Alejandro Amenabar. Ramon Sampedro was played by Spanish actor Javier Bardem and won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language film. EPA-EFE/Lavandeira jr

A protester dressed as Death demonstrates against a law legalising euthanasia in Madrid on March 18, 2021 as Parliament gives final approval to bill decriminalising euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide. - The bill, set to get final approval in parliament, will allow someone suffering from a "serious or incurable disease" to receive medical assistance to die. (Photo by JAVIER SORIANO / AFP)

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World

Europe

Genevieve Lhermitte died through euthanasia on the 16th anniversary of the killings of her son and four daughters
Belgian law allows for people to choose to be euthanised if they have ‘unbearable’ psychological suffering


Genevieve Lhermitte slit the throats of her son and four daughters with a kitchen knife. She died through euthanasia this week on the 16th anniversary of the killings.


Mental health

Belgian mother who killed 5 children euthanised at her own request

Genevieve Lhermitte died through euthanasia on the 16th anniversary of the killings of her son and four daughters Belgian law allows for people to choose to be euthanised if they have ‘unbearable’ psychological suffering

Genevieve Lhermitte died through euthanasia on the 16th anniversary of the killings of her son and four daughters

Belgian law allows for people to choose to be euthanised if they have ‘unbearable’ psychological suffering