• iconNews
  • videos
  • entertainment
  • Home
  • News
    • UK News
    • US News
    • Australia
    • Ireland
    • World News
    • Weird News
    • Viral News
    • Sport
    • Technology
    • Science
    • True Crime
    • Travel
  • Entertainment
    • Celebrity
    • TV & Film
    • Netflix
    • Music
    • Gaming
    • TikTok
  • LAD Originals
    • Say Maaate to a Mate
    • Daily Ladness
    • Lad Files
    • UOKM8?
    • FreeToBe
    • Extinct
    • Citizen Reef
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • UNILAD
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
Snapchat
TikTok
YouTube

LAD Entertainment

YouTube

LAD Stories

Submit Your Content
Man Becomes First To Die Under New Euthanasia Policy Despite Not Being Terminally Ill

Home> News

Published 16:24 10 Jan 2022 GMT

Man Becomes First To Die Under New Euthanasia Policy Despite Not Being Terminally Ill

He had fought for two years for his right to legal euthanasia, having faced opposition from doctors, clinics, courts and the church

Jess Hardiman

Jess Hardiman

A man in Colombia has become the first person in the country with a non-terminal illness to die legally by euthanasia, his lawyer has confirmed. 

Victor Escobar, 60, had fought for two years for his right to legal euthanasia, having faced opposition from doctors, clinics, courts and the Catholic church – which opposes assisted suicide. 

His lawyer, Luis Giraldo, told Reuters he had suffered from end-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which greatly diminishes quality of life, as well as a number of other conditions. 

CGTN America

The ailment had left Escobar in a wheelchair and he often experienced body spasms – this suffering being what led his family to support the idea of euthanasia. 

The procedure took place in a clinic in Cali, the capital city of Colombia's Valle del Cauca province, late on Friday 7 January. 

In a video message sent to media by Giraldo, Escobar said: "We reached the goal for patients like me, who aren't terminal but degenerative, to win this battle, a battle that opens the doors for the other patients who come after me and who right now want a dignified death.” 

CGTN America

He added: "I'm not saying goodbye, just 'see you later.’” 

Colombia de-penalised death in 1997, but it wasn’t until July 2021 that a high court expanded the ‘right to dignified death’ to apply to those not suffering from a terminal illness. 

Footage shows Escobar surrounded by family shortly before being sedated and given a lethal injection. 

The following day, a second Colombian was also euthaniased.

CGTN America

According to a statement from DescLAB, which supported the woman’s case, Martha Sepulveda underwent the procedure in the city of Medellin at midday on Saturday 8 January. 

She had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease – which was diagnosed in 2018, and was due to be euthanised in October last year but the process was halted last minute. 

After removing penalties for euthanasia under certain circumstances in the 1990s, Colombia's Constitutional Court also ordered the procedure to be regulated in 2014. 

The first person in the country with a terminal illness to die under those rules was in 2015. 

As of 15 October last year, 178 people with terminal illnesses had been legally euthanised in Colombia since 2015, according to Colombian legal rights advocacy group DescLAB. 

Featured Image Credit: CGTN America

Topics: World News

Jess Hardiman
Jess Hardiman

Jess is Entertainment Desk Lead at LADbible Group. She graduated from Manchester University with a degree in Film Studies, English Language and Linguistics. You can contact Jess at [email protected].

X

@Jess_Hardiman

Choose your content:

4 hours ago
5 hours ago
6 hours ago
7 hours ago
  • 4 hours ago

    Worrying simulation shows how nuclear bomb really works as global tensions continue to rise

    A simulation of an atomic bomb has highlighted the alarming effects it can cause

    News
  • 5 hours ago

    Explicit 'freak off' text messages between Diddy and ex-girlfriend revealed in court for first time

    Messages between Diddy and his ex-girlfriend Jane after 'freak-offs' were shown to the court

    News
  • 6 hours ago

    Donald Trump shares private message with NATO chief with worrying threat to Europe

    Donald Trump shared a screenshot of a recent conversation with NATO chief Mark Rutte

    News
  • 7 hours ago

    Everything we know about Iran-Israel ceasefire following confusion over it actually being agreed

    The Iran-Israel ceasefire has already been broken, according to Israel's defence minister

    News