Page 27 - bon-dia-aruba-20200422

A27
WORLD NEWS Wednesday 22 april 2020

An exterior view of the Supreme Court in The Hague,
Netherlands, Tuesday, April 21, 2020.
Associated Press.
Dutch court approves

euthanasia in advanced

dementia cases
In this Tuesday, Jan 28, 2020 file photo, mobile network phone masts are visible in front of St Paul's
Cathedral in the City of London. By MIKE CORDER Associated Press
Associated Press. THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The Netherlands'
Conspiracy theorists burn 5G towers highest court ruled Tuesday that doctors can carry

claiming link to virus out euthanasia in patients with advanced dementia
if the patient has earlier made a written directive.
The Supreme Court ruling solidifies in law a practice
By KELVIN CHAN, BEATRICE emergency," Stephen Pow- of wireless carrier Voda- that already was being carried out on rare occasions
DUPUY and ARIJETA LAJKA is, medical director of the fone UK, said on LinkedIn. in the Netherlands.
Associated Press National Health Service in "It's even more upsetting Dutch euthanasia advocacy group NVVE welcomed
LONDON (AP) — The CCTV England, said in early April. that even the small solace the ruling, saying in a statement that the decision
footage from a Dutch busi- Some 50 fires targeting cell of a phone or video call should help doctors "to feel strengthened and
ness park shows a man in a towers and other equip- may now be denied them supported if they want to carry out euthanasia on a
black cap pouring the con- ment have been reported because of the selfish ac- patient with dementia."
tents of a white container in Britain this month, lead- tions of a few deluded con- The case before the Supreme Court revolved around
at the base of a cellular ra- ing to three arrests. Tele- spiracy theorists." a district court's acquittal last year of a doctor who
dio tower. Flames burst out com engineers have been False narratives around 5G in 2016 carried out euthanasia on a 74-year-old
as the man jogs back to his abused on the job 80 times, and the coronavirus have woman. Prosecutors argued at the doctor's trial in The
Toyota to flee into the eve- according to trade group been shared hundreds Hague there were indications the woman might have
ning. Mobile UK, making the U.K. of thousands of times on changed her mind since she declared her wish to be
It's a scene that's been re- the nucleus of the attacks. social media. They vary euthanized in a written statement.
peated dozens of times in Photos and videos docu- widely from claims that the "The court ruled that the doctor acted with due care
recent weeks in Europe, menting the attacks are coronavirus is a coverup for and was therefore not punishable," Supreme Court
where conspiracy theories often overlaid with false 5G deployment to those Judge Willem van Schendel said. "According to the
linking new 5G mobile net- commentary about COV- that say new 5G installa- Supreme Court, the court did not make any mistakes
works and the coronavirus ID-19. Some 16 have been tions have created the vi- in its judgment."
pandemic are fueling ar- torched in the Netherlands, rus. Euthanasia cases among people with advanced
son attacks on cell towers. with attacks also reported "To be concerned that dementia are extremely rare; at the time of last year's
Popular beliefs and con- in Ireland, Cyprus, and Bel- 5G is somehow driving trial, there had been fewer than 20 cases since the
spiracy theories that wire- gium. the COVID-19 epidemic is procedure was legalized in 2002.
less communications pose Posts threatening to attack just wrong," Dr. Jonathan Under the Dutch law, people are eligible for euthanasia
a threat have long been phone masts were receiv- Samet, dean of the Colora- if they make a considered, voluntary request for it and
around, but the global ing likes on Facebook. One do School of Public Health if their suffering is hopelessly "unbearable." Patients
spread of the virus at the post in an anti-vaccine who chaired a World can draw up a written request for it to be performed
same time that countries group on April 12 shared a Health Organization com- sometime in the future, in an advance directive,
were rolling out fifth gen- photo of a burned phone mittee that researched cell which should specify the conditions determining
eration wireless technology mast with the quote, "No- phone radiation and can- when they want it to happen.
has seen some of those body wants cancer & co- cer. "I just don't find any Doctors must also seek the advice of at least one other
false narratives amplified. vid19. Stop trying to make it plausible way to link them." independent physician before killing the patient. q
Officials in Europe and the happen or every pole and Anti-5G activists are unde-
U.S. are watching the situ- mobile store will end up like terred.
ation closely and pushing this one." Susan Brinchman, director
back, concerned that at- The trend received extra of the Center for Electros-
tacks will undermine vi- attention in Britain when a mog Prevention, a non-
tal telecommunications tower supplying voice and profit campaigning against
links at a time they're most data traffic to a Birming- "environmental electro-
needed to deal with the ham field hospital treating magnetic pollution," says
pandemic. coronavirus patients was that people have a right
"I'm absolutely outraged, among those targeted. to be concerned about
absolutely disgusted, that "It's heart-rending enough 5G and links to COVID-19.
people would be taking that families cannot be "The entire 5G infrastruc-
action against the very in- there at the bedside of ture should be dismantled
frastructure that we need loved ones who are criti- and turned off," she said by
to respond to this health cally ill," Nick Jeffery, CEO email.q