Former Dutch PM And Wife Die Hand-In-Hand Via 'Duo Euthanasia'

Former Dutch Prime Minister Dries van Agt and his wife Eugene, both 93 years old, died hand-in-hand from a 'duo-euthanasia' procedure. The Rights Forum, a human rights organisation Agt founded, announced that the couple chose to die together in his hometown Nijmegen, due to their deteriorating health. "He died together and hand in hand with his beloved wife Eugenie van Agt-Krekelberg, with whom he was together for more than seventy years, and whom he always continued to refer to as 'my girl'," the organisation's statement read.

Agt was the prime minister of the Netherlands between 1977 and 1982 and the first leader of the Christian Democratic Appeal party. He and Eugene were suffering from poor health for the past few years, according to The Guardian. Their spokesperson said that the couple "couldn't live without each other," and therefore chose euthanasia to pass together.

Till Death Do NOT Do Us Apart

The Rights Forum's director, Gerad Jonkman, said that the couple had been very ill due to old age and chose to die hand in hand via euthanasia. Agt had reportedly suffered a brain haemorrhage in 2019, but "never fully recovered," the organisation's statement said.

Reportedly, 'duo euthanasia' procedures are gaining popularity in the Netherlands as several couples are opting for the fatal injection to die together. According to the Guardian report, 29 couples opted for duo euthanasia in 2022, which is up from 16 who chose it in 2021 and 13 pairs the year before.

Euthanasia has been legal in the Netherlands since 2002 for six conditions, including unbearable suffering, no prospect of relief and a long-held, independent wish for death. Elke Swart, spokesperson for the Expertisecentrum Euthanasie, an organisation that grants euthanasia wishes in the Netherlands said that thousands of people are opting for assisted suicide lately.

Speaking to The Guardian about duo euthanasia, Swart said, "Interest in this is growing, but it is still rare. 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 added that any couple's requests for assisted death were tested against strict requirements individually rather than together.