“Assistance in dying”: The UN is calling on France to review its Bill
In the current debate on the legalisation of “Assistance in dying”, the UN Committee for the rights of the handicapped has again made an appeal to France.
Last week, following the response by France to a letter sent by the Committee at the end of June, we reminded you that the right of the handicapped to a dignified life is not compatible with the legalisation of euthanasia. Indeed, legalising euthanasia or assisted suicide, is equivalent to admitting that some lives are not worth living. Whether through an individual feeling, “my life is worthless”, or as seen by others, “it’s not a life”, a legislative device for euthanasia creates de facto a category of people whose life is of potentially lower value than that of others. The admission that death is a better outcome for a given category of people, is already a devaluation.
The UN has again appealed to France on the current proposed Bill
Following up on the response by France, the UN Committee for the rights of the handicapped has reiterated its recommendations in a new document.
A recurrent concern: The high suicide rate in those suffering from autistic disorders
The Committee first of all recalls a point of concern raised since 2021. In France there is a high suicide rate among those suffering from autistic disorders or “psychosocial” handicap. This fact adds weight to the question of suicide prevention. It also throws doubt on the ability to achieve such prevention whilst at the same time opening the possibility of “assisted suicide”. Certainly, the proposed Bill adopted by the National Assembly dismisses psychic conditions if they are not combined with any physical pathology. But it is well known that proponents of euthanasia are already seeking its extension. In certain nations where it has been legalised, those suffering from psychic conditions have access to an administered death. The Committee establishes the link between the concrete living conditions of people and the risk of suicide. It has noted with concern: “The lack of options for living independently and in the community, including the lack of accessible and affordable accommodation, customised support and equal access to services in the community.”
The concerns of those defending the rights of the handicapped
The Committee also reports the concerns of organisations for the handicapped, supported by medical and legal experts:
- The eugenist mentality which transpires in the proposed Bill.
- The vague nature and lack of rigour in the procedure proposed for assisted suicide.
- The lack of support and information for patients (concerning palliative care in particular) and the normalisation of the concept of suicide.
The report maintains a strict view against the current text of the bill. For instance, one can read that:
The proposed Bill has a clear eugenist tendency reflecting validism deeply rooted in the State, and it ensues from a medical model where handicap is perceived as a “social disease” for which the treatment can only lead to the eradication of the source of the disease, i.e. the handicapped people themselves. It does not address the societal and financial shortfalls which determine the experience and the vulnerability of the handicapped in society, such as poverty, unemployment, discrimination and exclusion from an unwelcoming society. The legislative process did not include any consultation and active participation of the handicapped through their representative organisations, lacked impact statements and there was an extraordinary pressure for its rapid approval.”
Following its analysis of the governmental responses, the Committee maintains its recommendations. It therefore recommends, prior to the pursuit of the parliamentary debate on the text, to check its validity in relation to the Convention for the rights of the handicapped which has been signed by France. It also calls for the government and the legislative branch (National Assembly and Senate) to undertake an in-depth examination of the laws and regulations required in order to comply with the Convention. This involves “Revoking all the medical and capacitist models“, i.e. the models and mentalities which reduce the handicapped to their medical conditions or the handicap which they are suffering from.
The Committee finally calls upon the government to put an end to the misleading official statements suggesting that the Convention or the Committee support a “right to die”. On its part, Alliance VITA strongly reasserts its conviction: the rights of the handicapped and the legalisation of assisted suicide are not compatible. The historic eugenist abuses should alert all those who defend human rights.
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