麻豆社

Ecuador has become the second country in Latin America after Colombia to decriminalise euthanasia.

Its constitutional court voted seven to two in favour of allowing doctors to help a patient die.

The court said the crime of homicide would no longer apply to clinicians working to preserve the right to a dignified life.

The lawsuit was brought by Paola Rold谩n who suffers from Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is the most common form of motor neurone disease, a rare condition that progressively damages parts of the nervous system, leading to muscle weakness, often with visible wasting.

She had told the court that she was experiencing pain, loneliness and cruelty, and wanted to rest in peace.

Her lawyer Pablo Encalada Hidalgo told Newsday: 鈥淭he first legal requirement for this to happen is that there has to be explicit will鈥�declared by either the client or the legal representative that the patient has. The second one would be that she has to be suffering really strong pain due to an illness that is basically incurable. And finally the medical process has to be taken care of (by) a formal and legal medical team.鈥�

He added: 鈥淲e knew the debate and especially the legal and the moral debate in the country was going to be really tough鈥� yet the support we got was from the majority of public opinion and this was certainly unexpected.鈥�

Colombia decriminalised euthanasia in 1997.

(Picture: Shows a medic holding a patient's hand. Credit: Getty Images.)

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