Belgium Grants Euthanasia to Convicted Murderer, Rapist

A Belgian murderer and rapist who is serving a life sentence in Brussels will be allowed to end his life though euthanasia.

Frank Van Den Bleeken, convicted for multiple rapes and one case of rape-murder asked the government to allow him to die through Euthanasia because he was "suffering unbearably" from a psychiatric condition, his lawyer Jos Vander Velpen said.

Belgium's justice minister authorised Bleeken's transfer to a hospital where doctors will end his life, an official said on condition of anonymity, reports the Associated Press.

Bleeken, 50, suffers from a particular psychiatric condition and is unable to control his sexual urges.

"He has clearly saids that he didn't want to leave prison because he didn't want to risk creating further victims," Velpen said reports AP.

Velpen also said that many doctors and psychologists saw Bleeken in the past several years and they concluded that he was suffering a great deal.

Though Bleeken requested euthanasia in 2011, Belgium's Federal Euthanasia Commission wanted to consider all possible treatment options before agreeing to such a measure, reports BBC.

Bleekan had also asked the authorities to transfer him to a specialized psychiatric centre in Netherlands for treatment or, if that was not possible, a mercy killing. However, the Belgian authorities rejected his transfer request earlier this year.

Bleeken who has been in prison since 1984, criticised the lack of therapy given to him in Belgium. He said that he would prefer death than suffering more mentally.

In a documentary, Bleeken said: "If people commit a sexual crime, help them to deal with it. Just locking them up helps no one: not the person, not society and not the victims.", reports Reuters,

Belgium's justice minister authorised Bleeken's transfer to a hospital where doctors will end his life, an official said on condition of anonymity.

The ruling is the first involving a prisoner after euthanasia was legalised in Belgium in 2002.  In February this year, Belgium legalised euthanasia for terminally ill children of any age.