Police investigate after mum admitted ending life of terminally ill son, 7, to stop his suffering
POLICE are investigating after a mum admitted ending the life of her terminally ill son to stop his suffering.
Hamish Cooper spent two years in agony after being diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma – a rare childhood cancer – aged just five.
His mum Antonya, 77, admitted she chose to “quietly end his life” at home in Oxfordshire in 1981 by giving him a large dose of morphine.
Thames Valley Police is now investigating Antonya, who is a former chair of Neuroblastoma UK and is also battling cancer.
The force said it was “aware of reports relating to an apparent case of assisted dying of a seven-year-old boy in 1981”.
They added: “At this early stage, the force is making enquiries into these reports and is not in a position to comment further while these investigations continue.”
Assisted dying – where a person helps another person end their own life – and euthanasia – deliberately ending a person’s life – are illegal in England.
Speaking about the tragedy previously, Antonya said her son had initially been given three months to live after he was diagnosed.
His life was extended following “beastly” cancer treatment but Hamish was left in a lot of pain.
The mum said: “In the middle of the night, we were by his bedside.
“He was expressing that he had pain and I said, ‘Would you like me to take the pain away?’
“He said, ‘Yes please, Mama’.”
Antonya then explained how she gave Hamish a dose of morphine after deciding the “time was right”.
She told BBC Radio Oxford yesterday she believed her son knew she was intending to end his life.
The mum added: “It was the right thing to do.
“My son was facing the most horrendous suffering and intense pain, I was not going to allow him to go through that.”
Assisted suicide - the law
Both euthanasia and assisted suicide are illegal in the UK.
Euthanasia, sometimes known as mercy killing, is the practice of intentionally ending someone’s life to relieve their pain and suffering, while assisted suicide involves the person wishing to die taking an active role in ending their own life.
Euthanasia carries a maximum penalty of life in jail, and assisted suicide 14 years.
The only exception is “passive euthanasia”, which is where treatment that might extend someone’s life is withdrawn – such as a life machine being turned off.
The only alternatives for terminally ill patients in the UK are hospice care or refusing treatment, which mentally capable patients have the right to do.
Patients can give an “advance decision” to refuse treatment or opt for terminal sedation, which means they will be kept unconscious as death approaches.
As a result, some terminally ill people decide to travel abroad to die to clinics such as Dignitas in Switzerland.