Update: Noa Pothoven died via “passive euthanasia” after she refused fluids and food following hospitalization for several suicide attempts. Her doctors chose not to force feed her. She was not granted her euthanasia request because of her age as reported by Politico.
Original story: At the age of 17, Noa Pothoven has died via legal euthanasia in her native Netherlands.
With her loved ones by her side, Pothoven decided to end her young life after struggling for many years with mental health issues.
The Dutch teen decided to end her life through legal euthanasia after battling post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anorexia for years linked to multiple sexual assaults.
Miss Pothoven died last Sunday with the assistance of an end of life clinic.
The teenager, who hailed from Arnhem, lived through several traumatic events, which is why she reached out to the Dutch government and requested the right to terminate her life.
Pothoven, who has written an autobiography called Winning or Learning about her struggle with mental illness, confessed that she had been sexually molested and raped at least three times at a young age.
She confessed to being molested at the age of 11 and 12 while attending parties. And she was raped by two men when she was 14.
She kept the assaults to herself and only opened up to her family and the police about them in 2018 hoping the criminals would be arrested.
Pothoven shared a lengthy and emotional Instagram post announcing her imminent death and begged supporters to let her go because the pain had become unbearable.
Her message said: “I deliberated for quite a while whether or not I should share this, but decided to do it anyway. Maybe this comes as a surprise to some, given my posts about hospitalization, but my plan has been there for a long time and is not impulsive. I will get straight to the point: within a maximum of 10 days I will die.”
She concluded by: “I have quit eating and drinking for a while now, and after many discussions and evaluations, it was decided to let me go because my suffering is unbearable. Love is letting go, in this case.”
In 2002, the Netherlands enacted the Termination of Life on Request and Assisted Suicide Act, which made euthanasia legal. The decision to put an end to a person’s life must be approved by a doctor.
In 2017, more than 6500 people have legally put an end to their lives in the Netherlands.
