A Dutch teenager, Noa Pothoven, whose death was falsely reported to be following legal euthanasia, died after she refused to consume food and water, confirmed Dutch Health Minister Hugo de Jonge.
Pothoven, who became famous following her award-winning memoir Winning or Learning that detailed her experiences with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression and anorexia that she suffered in the aftermath of a childhood rape, died after she stopped taking food and water. Though initially reported to have been legally euthanised, the reports were dismissed by a clinic on Wednesday, following which Jonge also confirmed the same.
“We are in touch with her family, who have told us that despite international media reports to the contrary, there is no question of euthanasia in this case. The family must now be allowed to grieve for Noa in peace," said Jonge.
She is reported to have enquired about the possibilities of voluntary euthanasia through a Levenseindekliniek or an End of Life clinic, but was not granted permission.
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The 17-year-old rape survivor was abused three times in her short life. She was molested twice when she was 11 and 12 years, and later raped by a man in Elderveld neighbourhood of her city when she was 14. However, these incidents were only revealed years later as she was ashamed to admit having been a victim of the dreadful abuse.
Her Instagram account, with the handle @noamaestro, has already been deleted. In her last post, she spoke about her decision to die, having been subject to “unbearable suffering” through the time she’s been alive. “I deliberated for quite a while whether or not I should share this, but decided to do it anyway,” she wrote. “Maybe this comes as a surprise to some, given my posts about hospitalisation, but my plan has been there for a long time and is not impulsive.”
She went on to say, “I will get straight to the point: within a maximum of 10 days I will die. After years of battling and fighting, I am drained. I have quit eating and drinking for a while now, and after many discussions and evaluations, it was decided to let me go because my suffering is unbearable”.
She spent the last few days of her life in her hospital bed, saying goodbye to her family and close friends who, though heartbroken, supported her decision.
