by NexDev | March 7, 2018 | News, Palliative care
A recent appeal launched by the French Society for Counseling and Palliative Care “(SFAP)” is entitled “YES to comforting, and supporting. NO to euthanasia.”
“We refuse to let ourselves be trapped into a 2-sided debate that reduces patient care at the end-of-life to a proposition of euthanasia.” The manifesto was launched after several MPs signed an op-ed on February 28 in the French newspaper, “Le Monde”, insisting on a new law for euthanasia and assisted suicide.
According to the “SFAP” with its’ 10,000 caregivers and 6,000 volunteers: “ The recommendations for implementing the Claeys-Leonetti Law of 2016 have not even been published, therefore it is essential not to increase patients’ vulnerability by constant legislation evolutions.”
Alliance VITA strongly encourages signing this manifesto, which opposes “an ultra-liberal society composed of autonomous individuals, completely independent, who control their life and death” and advocates “a society of solidarity and interdependence ready to assist those who are vulnerable”. VITA’s End-of-Life SOS Service follows this line, by offering listening support to the individuals affected, their loved ones and their caregivers.
Tugdual Derville, Alliance VITA’s General Delegate, author of “The Battle of Euthanasia” (Salvator Editions) declares:
“Today, both professionals and volunteers in palliative care insist that euthanasia is incompatible with the palliative approach. While some people with outspoken opinions attempt to persuade and confuse, it is essential that the voice of palliative caretakers be heard and supported. Their mission brings comfort to the people they are taking care of, handling complex situations, which have nothing to do with minimizing slogans, or easy solutions”. Facing the challenge of the end of the life of the people they are taking care for, their practice is a source of pacification. They assume the responsibility for handling complex situations for these individuals; which is incongruous with minimizing slogans, or proposing easy arrangement concepts”.
by NexDev | March 2, 2018 | End of life
An Op-Ed article signed by 156 French MP’s entitled: “It is appropriate to give the patients at the end of their life free disposition of their bodies” was published on February 28th in “Le Monde”. The majority of those signing are from President Macron’s party (“LREM”: Republic on the Move) and they urge to legalize “active help in dying”.
Jean-Louis Touraine, MP, author of a recent bill on euthanasia, and head of a study group on the end-of-life in the National Assembly initiated this Op-Ed article. Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls is also among the signatories.
The article exhorts “to end the hypocrisy that prevents from helping those who wish to be helped and inflicts a painful agony to everyone. It is advisable to give patients at the end of their life free disposition of their bodies and of their destiny “. They refer to a recent IFOP survey stating that “a high number of French people seek relief” by going abroad to countries that have already legislated on the subject (Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland …). They declare that euthanasia is already being practiced illegally in France.
The signatories assert, that “the current palliative care options are not satisfactory for all individual situations and patients’ suffering at the end-of-life”. They insist that no “significant innovations” have been introduced in the Claeys-Leonetti law dated February 2, 2016. It should be noted that this law is barely starting to be known, understood and implemented, since the application decrees are dated from August 2017. Several official initiatives are ongoing or planned in the short term future, to evaluate whether taking charge of the end-of-life situation is improving in France *.
Alliance VITA considers that this ideological offensive is attempting to occult the genuine end-of-life issues at hand. They denounce this insistence to force through still another end-of-life legislation, when the priority is to assess how the new Claeys-Leonetti law is being applied in real-case scenarios. Whether people are in hospitals, nursing homes or at home, the main priority is to improve palliative care, especially pain management, and inter-generation solidarity. Indeed, in the few foreign countries which have legalized euthanasia, the serious “ethical slippage” observed is a warning for acting with utmost caution. (Refer to our analysis on Belgium and the Netherlands, for example).
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* The government launched an investigation via the General Inspectorate of Social Affairs (IGAS : Inspection Générale des Affaires Sociales); The Parliament is planning a study group and hearings in the coming weeks; the EESC also took up the subject; and medical assessments on “deep and continuous sedation until death” are in progress via the National Center for Palliative and End-of-Life Care and the French Society for Accompaniment and Palliative Care (SFAP : Société Française d’Accompagnement et de Soins Palliatifs)
by NexDev | February 27, 2018 | Uncategorized
The highly controversial trial of a 29-year-old man accused of “sexually abusing a minor” aged 11, began on February 13, 2018 at the Pontoise Criminal Court, Val-d’Oise, France in closed proceedings.
After debating for several hours, the criminal court dismissed the case due to lack of jurisdiction. According to Article 469 in the Code of Criminal Procedure, they asked the prosecution to submit their case to a more competent court: “If the case and the description of the offense referred to the criminal court are likely to result in a criminal sentence, the court refers to the Public Ministry to appeal as it will deem appropriate (…) »
The question of the girl’s consent is central to the debate. Her family had filed a complaint for “rape” for the events in Montmagny on April 24. But the prosecution deemed it was willful consent, since she was not physically constrained. This rebuttal was invoked to avoid “rape” charges, which would be punishable by 20 years in prison due to the alleged victim’s young age. For an offense of “sexual assault”, the perpetrator would only be liable for 5 years in prison and a 75 000 Euros fine. (For further details click here).
At the end of the hearing, the complainants’ lawyer, Carine Diebolt declared a “victory for the victims“. She added that the prosecution will “most likely” appoint an investigating judge and “the case will be thoroughly investigated”.
Another case was also widely criticized in November 2017 when a 30-year-old man was acquitted after the rape of an 11-year-old girl. Numerous requests, including those from child protection associations, are asking for a minimum age of consent to be defined for the sexual act.
Thus the French government has decided to take legal steps. President Emmanuel Macron would like to set this age at 15 years old, while the Justice Minister, Nicole Belloubet, has mentioned age 13 for the threshold age. The bill against gender-based violence, which will determine this cut-off age, is scheduled for March 7 at the Council of Ministers. It is co-sponsored by the Secretary of State to the Prime Minister for Equality between Women and Men, Marlène Schiappa, and the Justice Minister, Nicole Belloubet.
by NexDev | February 23, 2018 | Uncategorized
Chimeras are embryos which have mixed animal and human cells. At the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) * recently held in Austin, Texas from February 15-19, a research team announced that they had created sheep-human hybrid embryos.
Their declared objective is to “cultivate” human organs inside animals, to obtain grafts to cope with the shortage of organ donations. This research relied on previous experiments conducted by some of the same team members who were able to develop human cells in pig embryos.
Hybrid embryos were therefore created using sheep embryos, produced via IVF, in which they injected 0.01% of human stem cells, either from human embryos or somatic (adult) cells reprogrammed as stem cells. The experiment was halted after 28 days of embryonic development.
This research intends to ensure embryonic development, and implantation to result in newborn baby animals from which the organs would be removed (heart, lungs …).
This experimental research project is very controversial. It raises very important ethical questions: not the least of which is that human embryos are being treated as objects. It raises the issue of the borderline being respected between humans and animals. Although the ratio of human cells is very low, their proliferation during embryonic development is possible. They could even settle in the brain or the sexual organs of animals, says Hiro Nakauchi, stem cell biologist at Stanford University who collaborates with Professor Ross. What would be the consequences?
Besides, the ratio of human-animal cells, during a press briefing, “is not yet enough to generate an organ” Professor Ross declared. Approximately 1% of the embryo needs to be human for organ transplantation to function, reports The Guardian. To make progress, there is a risk of pushing the research tests forward, by injecting more and more human cells. A potential graft could still be rejected, with the recipient recognizing the animal cells as a “foreign body”.
Alliance VITA points out that French law prohibits the creation of chimerical embryos. Nevertheless, the question is being discussed in the current National Bioethical Conferences, under the heading “Stem Cells and Embryo Research”: “Should we authorize scientific research to produce embryos which are transgenic or chimerical? Extreme vigilance is required not to exploit the public’s opinion, the individuals and their families waiting for transplants with the promise of these experimental chimeras. Far from being perfect, they may never exist nor function. Furthermore, the human embryo must be respected and using for experiments by sorcerer-apprentices should be condemned.
* American Association for the Advancement of Science
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by NexDev | February 23, 2018 | Old age and Dependency
On February 19, the French government appointed a commission to prevent abuse and/ or neglect of the elderly and disabled individuals, in coordination with the law enacted on aging, effective since January 1, 2016.
This commission is tasked with “promoting correct treatment, fighting against abuse, making suggestions concerning the risks of abuse or neglect, whether in the individual’s home or in institutions”.
Abuse of the elderly can be either physical or moral and is mainly due to staff shortages in the (“EPHAD”) nursing homes. Pascal Champvert, President of the Association of Directors for Serving the Elderly (“AD-PA”) denounces this as an “enormous” problem and adds “we need a strong commitment from the President on ageing, and discrimination against the elderly, which constitutes the primary abuse.
Much abuse occurs at home, sometimes by the families themselves who don’t have enough support, and become exhausted. “With too little home-based staff, we end up delegating to spouses or children who also become worn out. They themselves are being abused and mistreated, and unintentionally, they also abuse and mistreat others, “says Pascal Champvert.
This measure comes in response to the protest movement by the “EHPAD” nursing home professionals, which has been gaining momentum over the past several months. After the nationwide strike held on January 30th, another protest is scheduled for March 15.
