A 19-year-old woman with a severe eating disorder passed away two months after a judge ordered that doctors were permitted to stop giving her “artificial sustenance and hydration.”
Attorneys for the mental health trust responsible for the adolescent’s care requested orders “allowing the cessation of artificial nourishment and hydration.
The death of the adolescent was reported by the Court of Protection on Friday, with a judge describing the case as “tragic and profoundly distressing.”
Sir Jonathan Cohen made the “grave” decision in May to discontinue nourishment.
The Court of Protection is where judges hear cases involving individuals who may lack the mental capacity to make their own decisions.
Attorneys for the mental health trust responsible for the adolescent’s care requested orders “allowing the cessation of artificial nourishment and hydration.
The teen’s application was backed by her parents and a psychiatrist.
The adolescent, identified only by his initials BG, had experienced mental health issues for over a decade. She had spent three years in the hospital “nearly continuously.”
Sir Jonathan stated that experts agreed “nothing more” could be done to assist the adolescent.
In the ruling, he stated, “This case is unlike any other I’ve encountered.”
“The contrast comes mostly in the experts’ consensus that there is nothing else that can be done to assist BG.
“Unless extraordinary circumstances exist, the law provides the strong presumption that all steps will be made to safeguard human life.
The principle is not absolute, though.
