BRUSSELS (AP) — A Belgian official says a convicted rapist and murderer who has been imprisoned for almost three decades has been granted the right to die after doctors agreed his psychological condition was incurable.
The official said Tuesday Belgium's justice minister approved Frank Van Den Bleeken's transfer to a hospital where doctors will end his life.
The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the case publicly.
The convict's lawyer, Jos Vander Velpen, told Belgian television on Monday his client was "suffering unbearably."
Belgium has allowed euthanasia since 2002 in cases where patients' physical or psychological suffering is incurable and constant. Some 1,400 people a year choose the option.
http://news.yahoo.com/belgium-grants-jailed-rapist-murderer-euthanasia-105157604.html
