Euthanasia Punished By 1 To 5 Years Jail Time In Romania

Article 188 on the killing on request of the victim – following the votes cast Wednesday by the Parliament subcommittee – will read as follows: "The killing performed on explicit, serious, conscious and repeated request of the victim suffering from a terminal illness or a medically acknowledged severe infirmity that causes permanent and strenuous suffering is punishable by imprisonment over one to five years."

 

The amendment, proposed by the Democratic Union of Magyars in Romania, respectively by MP Marton Arpad, was approved with a majority of votes.

 

Moreover, Marton Arpad proposed a diminishing of the one to five term, as this term is much larger compared to the prison terms established for the other crimes.

 

"This article speaks of euthanasia. There are countries where euthanasia is not a crime. Obviously, we have to consider it a crime, for various reasons. All churches reject this idea, but we have a narrow form in the definition. (...) This is about relieving the suffering of someone who has expressly, manifold and consciously requested it. I feel the prison terms issued for this deed are too high compared to others," Arpad said.