Physically Healthy 28-Year-Old Explains
A Controversial Decision
Zoraya ter Beek, a 28-year-old Dutch woman,
plans to undergo euthanasia despite being physically healthy.
Her case has drawn global attention because it is based
on psychiatric suffering, reopening debates over ethics, autonomy, and medical limits.
Legal Grounds
Under Dutch law, euthanasia is allowed when a patient faces
“unbearable suffering with no prospect of improvement.”
Ter Beek qualifies due to severe, treatment-resistant depression,
autism, and borderline personality disorder, after years of unsuccessful treatment.
Divided Reactions
Supporters argue mental suffering can be as devastating as
physical pain and say denying choice is discriminatory.
Critics counter that hopelessness is “a symptom of depression” and warn of a “slippery slope.”
A Personal Choice
Ter Beek calls her decision “liberation rather than despair,”
saying it brings peace after years of exhaustion.
Her case continues to force difficult global conversations.
