Belgian deacon arrested for “active euthanasia”

The bishop of Bruges has expressed shock at news that a church deacon in Wevelgem has been arrested for murder. The 57-year-old Ivo P is accused of carrying out “active euthanasia” on as many as 40 elderly people over a period of 30 years.

The father of three has been a deacon in the town since 1996; prior to that, he was a registered nurse and then pastoral assistant in the Sacred Heart Hospital in nearby Menen from the 1980s to 2011.

During that period, he is thought to have administered a lethal dose of medication without the consent of the victim in as many as 40 cases, including members of his own family. He recorded the names of the victims in a notebook. They were either given a fatal dose of insulin or suffocated with a pillow. According to his lawyer, Filip De Reuse, the deacon explained that he acted to release patients from intolerable suffering.

In the Catholic church, a deacon is a lay office, ordained by the bishop after a training period and permitted to act as witness at weddings and carry out baptisms. They may not, however, celebrate Mass, hear confessions or anoint the sick.

“My client was at that time confronted with people in a hopeless situation and acted from a sort of empathy or compassion,” De Reuse told VTM News. “However, he crossed a line which he now realises he should not have.”

“This is terrible news. We’re more than shocked,” said Peter Rossel, spokesperson for the bishop of Bruges. “Active euthanasia is absolutely not acceptable in the eyes of the church, and if it’s considered to be murder, then we’re simply speechless.”

The hospital in Menen never once received a complaint about Ivo P’s behaviour, spokesperson Kristien Beuselinck said. “Everyone is devastated. Of course nobody would expect this. The staff who knew him well are finding it impossible to comprehend.”

Wevelgem mayor Jan Seynhaeve revealed he had been informed in confidence of the man’s arrest a week ago but refrained from commenting until the news was released. He says the deacon was well-known and well-respected in the town, taking part in various organisations outside the church as well as serving as deacon in several parishes.

Photo courtesy Het Nieuwsblad