Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A DUTCH MAN accused of murdering a former health minister has admitted to the killing, saying he was on a “divine mission” because of her role in legalising euthanasia, Dutch media said Thursday.
Els Borst, who as health minister from 1994 to 2002 helped the Netherlands become the world’s first country to legalise doctor-assisted death, was found with multiple stab wounds in her garage in February 2014. She was 81.
Her alleged assailant, who has been only identified as Bart van U because of Dutch privacy law, unexpectedly confessed at a closed-door hearing in Rotterdam, saying he was a man on a “divine mission”, public news station NOS reported.
Until now he had remained silent on the murder that shocked the Netherlands, in particular members of Borst’s progressive D66 political party.
Coming from a conservative Christian background, Bart van U has also already confessed to killing his sister, Dutch national news agency ANP said.
Borst, a medical doctor, was known for her progressive and liberal positions on health care.
Direct euthanasia has been legal since April 2002 in the Netherlands. Under the legislation patients can request the administration of lethal doses of a drug if they are mentally lucid.
They must also be suffering from an incurable condition and must show that they have endured unbearable suffering.
The Netherlands has also authorised euthanasia for children younger than 12 under strict conditions.
Euthanasia under close medical supervision is increasingly popular as a way to end life in the Netherlands, where nearly 4,000 people undertook the practice in 2012.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Looking forward to the brits saying saidhbhín, they cant even sat doherty correctly
@Brian Dunne: Lee Mack might have to update his Irish names routine…
@Brian Dunne: Does anyone know why the British pronounce Doherty as Dockerty? There is clearly no k in the name. Does my head in.
@Peter Cavey: because they know it annoys us, aul brits up to their old tricks
@Peter Cavey: McGrath and Moran are two other simple names they can’t master
@Brian Dunne: And Gallagher. They say Gallagurr but yet they can pronounce Callaghan just fine.
@Brian Dunne: how is it pronounced?
@Madra: Sadabadahnnnnnnnnnnnin I think
@Madra: sive-een
@Madra: sive-een.
@Brian Dunne: I would have problems with the pronunciation of Saidbhin Sorry about the lack of a fada I don’t know how to type one
@Brian Dunne: Hope we don’t get as far as S!
@Peter Cavey: yup. It comes from a time when even we pronounced it closer to Dockerty. It’s from Middle Irish Dochartaigh, where the ch is pronounced as in Scottish loch. The English continued to pronounce this k/ch sound, while we in Ireland lost it. Think along the lines of Monaghan (originally Muineachán), Fermanagh (Fear Manach), Gallagher (Gallchobhair) etc. The gh in Monaghan and Fermanagh is now rendered a h or absent in all English dialects, but in some words the original sound has been retained in a much closer approximation in English dialects than in Irish English dialects.
@Peter Cavey: Scottish
@dmcardle: I remember that! I’m still trying to figure out whether I ought to be amused or insulted by that sketch :)
Diversity for storm names…talk about snowflakes and first world problems..
@Canyon: People complaining about storm names – first world problems.
@Canyon: Well, we do live in the first world last time I checked…
@KilkennyProud: in case you missed it…I’m complaining about those wanting diversity in storm names.
They have put the phonetics under Evert, Klaas and Minnie but have left Saidhbhàin to chance. Good luck BBC weather team!
@Ted Logan: This is Met Eireann’s graphic for Ireland. I imagine the UK and Dutch met offices will produce their own version with phonetics for the ones that are challenging locally.
I wonder why Saidhbhín and not Saidhbh. I know noone with that name, though I Saidhbh is familiar
@Goban Saor: Do you know many Everts?
@Goban Saor: It’s just so that we could have more fun messing with some Sky presenters’ heads!
Congratulations to all the team. No longer will have to point at the weather and shout, ‘I hate that nameless b@stard’.
Saidhbhín? Picking a random, barely pronounceable name is the way forward I guess.
Can imagine the person who added the phonetic spelling getting to Saidhbhin ..” Sai.. …what the F …I give up”
What happens if there are more storms than names listed about.. 21 there.. will No 22 be called Aiden +1?
What a load of bl…… seriously picking hardest to say names a poss.
Wheres Mohammud?
Naming weather. Whatever!
They should have got enough practise trying to pronounce Eyjafjallajökull a few years ago.
Should not there be a list from time to time and then, once all the names have been used, to get a new list? Most years, the second half of the list does not have any storm (fortunately).
have your say