Canada's medical assistance in dying (MAID) program is the fastest-growing cause of death in the country, accounting for 5% of all deaths and surpassing the number of gun homicides in the United States in 2024. The program extends beyond terminal illnesses to include people with mental illnesses, chronic disabilities, and social isolation, with reports of doctors encouraging patients to choose MAID even when other healthcare options exist.
Liberal MP Kevin Lamouroux opposed Bill C-218, which seeks to ban euthanasia for mental illness, stating that preventing mentally ill persons from accessing medical assistance in dying is not the right approach. The bill, introduced by Conservative MP Tamara Jansen, aims to amend the Criminal Code to restrict euthanasia for mental illness, but faces opposition from the governing Liberal Party and is scheduled for a second reading in early October 2026.
Donna Duncan was euthanized in Canada under the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program despite not being terminally ill, with her daughters stating she was suffering from a serious mental health crisis triggered by a car accident and worsened by COVID-19 isolation. Her daughters reported that she was given only 48 hours' notice before euthanasia, and after a psychiatric assessment diagnosed her with a psychosomatic disorder, she died by lethal injection shortly after being discharged from a psychiatric ward without their knowledge.
Donna Duncan died by euthanasia in Canada after being deemed eligible under the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program, despite her daughters stating she was not terminally ill but suffering from a serious mental health crisis triggered by a traffic collision and worsened by COVID-19 isolation. Her daughters reported that Donna was diagnosed with a psychosomatic disorder, had attempted suicide shortly before her death, and was discharged from psychiatric care without their knowledge just two days before she was euthanized by lethal injection.
Bill C-218, which aims to prevent euthanasia for mental illness as the sole criterion, had its first hour of debate on December 5, 2025, and its second hour on September 23, 2026, with a vote scheduled for October 7, 2026. During the September 23 debate, Luc Thériault (Montcalm) of the Bloc Québécois opposed Bill C-218 and supported euthanasia for mental illness as a sole criterion.
Canadian Members of Parliament are debating the expansion of the Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) service to include the mentally ill, with Bill C-218 proposed to prevent this expansion and protect the mentally ill from euthanasia. The article draws a historical parallel between Canada's MAiD program and Nazi Germany's Aktion T4 euthanasia program, highlighting concerns about consent and the ethical implications of euthanizing mentally ill individuals.
Michael Cooper spoke in parliament on September 23, 2026, in support of Bill C-218, which aims to prevent euthanasia (MAiD) when mental illness is the sole criterion. He described the bill as the 'right to recover act,' emphasizing its goal to offer hope and help to those with mental health challenges rather than allowing state-sanctioned death.
In 2024, Canada recorded 16,499 deaths through Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD), which is 1,135 more than the 15,364 firearm homicides recorded in the United States that year despite the US having a population more than eight times larger. Since legalizing MAiD in 2016, with expanded eligibility in 2021, the number of assisted deaths in Canada has approximately tripled from 5,461 in 2019 to 16,499 in 2024, accounting for 5.1 percent of all deaths in Canada that year.
In 2024, Canada recorded 16,499 euthanasia deaths, which is 1,135 more than the 15,364 firearm homicide deaths in the United States during the same year. Canadian healthcare policy mandates that doctors and nurses inform patients about euthanasia as a treatment option, a practice unique compared to other countries with legal euthanasia.
Dr. Joel Zivot testified before the Canadian Senate that lethal injection used in assisted suicide can cause pulmonary edema, a condition where fluid fills the lungs, leading to sensations similar to suffocation or drowning, and that paralytic drugs can mask visible signs of distress.
Brigitte Stegemann was euthanized under Canada's assisted dying system despite explicitly stating she did not want MAiD and being deemed competent by Dr. Kate Koester despite failing competency questions and having severe hearing impairment.
A federal appeals court panel heard an appeal from Sean Curran, a quadriplegic, and disability rights groups challenging Delaware's End of Life Options Act, arguing it discriminates against disabled people by requiring doctors to inform patients about assisted suicide as part of standard care. Delaware officials argued Curran lacks standing and that the law does not legalize assisted suicide but merely offers it as a voluntary option, while the court panel did not indicate when or how it would rule.
Brigitte Stegemann, an 83-year-old Canadian grandmother, died by assisted suicide despite not giving final verbal consent, according to her family who allege the procedure was botched and conducted without proper consent protocols. Her family is now demanding documents and has filed complaints and a police report to investigate the legality and circumstances surrounding her euthanasia under Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program.
Brigitte Stegemann was declared competent despite not answering the competency questions during an assessment related to euthanasia. The Daily Mail published an article about an 83-year-old Christian grandmother who was euthanized against her will under Canada's assisted dying system, and the story has been confirmed as true despite some online doubts.
The UK House of Commons recently defeated a physician-assisted suicide bill after a four-hour debate, with lawmakers urged to vote their conscience due to concerns about vulnerable populations such as poorer communities and those with disabilities. The bill would have allowed adults with less than six months to live in England and Wales to apply for assisted suicide, requiring approval from two doctors and an expert panel, but similar legislation has been repeatedly stopped by the House of Lords over the past two years.
Late-term induction abortions often involve injecting the preborn child with a feticide to cause fatal cardiac arrest before inducing labor to deliver a stillborn baby, a procedure some describe as 'euthanasia. Women who have undergone this process report it as emotionally difficult, with some paying large sums for the procedure and expressing grief over not holding their living baby, while others describe it as a 'humane' or 'gentle' method to end the pregnancy.
The UK Parliament voted 286 to 270 to defeat the assisted dying bill last week. Alicia Edmund, head of policy for the Evangelical Alliance in the UK, had spent two years briefing evangelicals on the issue before the vote.
Brigitte Stegemann, an 83-year-old Canadian pensioner with stage four stomach cancer, died through Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) program despite her family's opposition and claims that she did not want to die. Her granddaughter, Brigitte Kranendonk, alleges that the care home accelerated the euthanasia process while she was away and that staff viewed the family as obstacles to administering MAiD, which now accounts for about one in ten deaths in Canada.
Euthanasia has become widespread in Canada, with over 100,000 people having been euthanized by doctors and nurse practitioners. Some hospices have lost funding for refusing to participate, and doctors with moral objections face pressure to comply or leave medicine, while media reports highlight euthanasia as a source of organs and recount numerous horror stories.
Brigitte Kranendonk alleges that her grandmother, Brigitte Stegemann, was subjected to a deceptive and coercive medical assistance in dying (MAID) assessment at a Canadian long-term care facility while her family was absent, leading to a botched assisted suicide covered in blood. Investigations by provincial and local authorities, including the Ontario coroner's office and Belleville police, are ongoing following multiple complaints about the facility's practices and the lack of explicit verbal confirmation from Stegemann, who had previously rejected MAID due to her religious beliefs.
The spread of assisted suicide and euthanasia legalization and the resulting pressure on doctors to participate despite many refusing. It highlights the use of coercion, including threats to doctors' professional licenses, as a method to ensure compliance, citing bioethics advocates like Ezekiel Emanuel, Julian Savulescu, and Peter Singer.
Several thousand pro-life supporters, estimated at over 2,200, gathered in Zurich-Oerlikon, Switzerland, on September 19 for the annual March for Life, which was delayed by 200 masked protesters who blocked the route and set off firecrackers. The event has been held since 2010 but has been restricted from Zurich's city center by local officials, leading organizers to hold it on the northern outskirts, while abortion remains legal in Switzerland for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy and euthanasia tourism is also prevalent in the country.
In Italy, ten doctors who refused to perform euthanasia on Sibilla Barbieri, an elderly former actress with cancer, now face a criminal investigation after her family filed a complaint alleging denial of her constitutional right to assisted suicide. The case highlights Italy's shift from cautious approval of assisted suicide to mandatory participation by healthcare providers, with legal authorities pursuing criminal penalties against doctors who act according to their medical conscience.
Dr Roz Savage, a Liberal Democrat MP for the South Cotswolds, voted against the Terminally Ill Adults (End Of Life) Bill at its Second Reading in 2026 despite previously supporting assisted suicide and having a mother who was a member of Dignity in Dying. She cited concerns raised by healthcare professionals about the Bill's ability to provide a safe framework, particularly regarding distinguishing free choice from influences like depression or financial pressure, and emphasized the need for universal palliative care before supporting such legislation.
Kristin, a Canadian woman diagnosed with stage four ovarian cancer, was told by doctors in Canada that her only option was physician-assisted suicide, but she and her husband chose to seek treatment in the United States where she received life-saving HIPEC surgery and chemotherapy. After multiple recurrences and medical emergencies, they moved to Texas to continue advanced medical care, highlighting concerns about assisted suicide policies and emphasizing the value of life and access to quality treatment.
A toddler with severe health problems was euthanized at two years old in the Netherlands, and a Canadian grandmother died through MAiD amid concerns about consent. Hosts Ellie Gardey Holmes and Lyrah Margo discuss these cases on the Spectator P.M.
On Saturday 5th September 2026, over 10,000 people gathered in London for the March for Life UK event, which included a family summit, religious services, and a march through Westminster to Parliament Square. The event featured speakers sharing personal testimonies, discussions on fatherhood and motherhood, and concluded with prayers led by Christian leaders and 15 Roman Catholic bishops, emphasizing the pro-life message and opposition to abortion and assisted suicide in the UK.
Canadian law enforcement is investigating the euthanasia of 83-year-old Christian great-grandmother Brigitte Stegemann, who was euthanized on July 10 despite previously refusing due to her beliefs and cognitive decline. Her family alleges that her consent was improperly obtained while her granddaughter, who held power of attorney, was on vacation, and they have appealed to multiple authorities including the Ontario Chief Coroner's Office and Belleville Police, who confirmed the investigation is ongoing.
Pope Leo XIV is visiting France, where he is expected to advocate for the protection of human life amid the country's recent legalization of abortion as a constitutional right and approval of assisted dying for incurable illnesses. During his visit, he will also address issues such as artificial intelligence, peace, and clergy sexual abuse, including meeting with abuse survivors and confronting the controversy surrounding mosaic artist Father Marko Rupnik at Lourdes.
The Green Party has released a health policy that includes support for abortion, gender-affirming healthcare, euthanasia, and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception, abortion, assisted reproduction, maternity, post-natal, and surrogacy services. The policy also aims to address various forms of discrimination such as racism, sexism, ableism, fatphobia, ageism, queerphobia, and transphobia, while proposing fully funded public health services including dental care, general practitioner clinics, ambulance and emergency services, aged care, palliative care, and mental health services.
