Genevieve Lhermitte, a Belgian woman who killed her 5 children has been euthanised at her own request after a period of 16 years. She slit the throats of her son and four daughters aged 3 to 14 with a kitchen knife in their home in Nivelles on February 28, 2007 when their father was away.
She later tried to commit suicide by stabbing herself. As the attempt failed, she called the emergency services. Genevieve was convicted for murder and sentenced to life imprisonment in the year 2008 and was later shifted to a psychiatric hospital in 2019.
According to Belgian law, people can choose to be euthanised if they suffer from unbearable physical or psychological issues that cannot be healed. However, the person should be conscious of their decision and be capable of expressing their wish in a consistent manner. Genevieve chose to be euthanized on February 28, 2023, which happens to be the sixteenth anniversary of the murders.
