A woman in the Netherlands has been euthanized after a battle with advanced dementia.
The woman, who was 64, was a long-time advocate of euthanasia but was not able to give conscious consent due to her mental state, the National Post reports. It was the first euthanasia in the country performed under those circumstances.
Doctors performed the procedure in March, but Dutch daily newspaper De Volkskrant revealed the case this week, the Radio Netherlands World Wide reports.
Euthanasia laws in the Netherlands state the person under consideration must be in "unbearable" pain and "give authorization while in full control of his mental faculties," the National Post explains.
Doctors reviewed the case and decided to approve the procedure, according to Dutch News, who translated the original article published in Volkskrant. The woman had a document that stated her wish to die, and her family supported the decision.
In 2002, the Netherlands became the first country to legalize euthanasia, CNN reports. The procedures had been taking place under the radar for quite some time, the news organization points out.
