Barbaric backdoor euthanasia
Repatriate RS - Polish man being starved & dehydrated to death
Repatriate RS - Polish man being starved & dehydrated to death
RS is a Polish patient who was admitted to hospital in Plymouth UK, in November after suffering a heart attack, who will shortly die from starvation and dehydration. after a court ordered that it would be in his best interests for his fluids and nutrition to be withdrawn.
RS is a professed Catholic with well-attested religiously conservative views who had previously expressed very strong views about abortion and euthanasia, being opposed to both . According to his sister, he was outraged by the decision to withdraw life-support from toddler, Alfie Evans.
Unlike many other tragic cases, RS does not require life support. He is able to breathe unaided, however the court has ruled that it would be in his ‘best interests’ to die, because he had once expressed a desire not to be a burden on his family.
The provision of hydration and nutrition is not ‘medical treatment’ and is not considered to be extraordinary or burdensome, by Catholics and many others, but basic care.
Video evidence taken of RS on Christmas Day has demonstrated that his condition has improved and two expert neurologists have described him as being minimally conscious and suggested that his prospects of recovery are better than suggested by the hospital, but the judge has ruled this as out of hand.
The Polish government has contacted the British Foreign Office and petitioned the European Court of Human Rights in a bid to allow RS to be allowed to be airlifted to Poland. The ECHR has refused the appeal on a technicality.
The judge has also refused to allow the Polish Consul General to visit RS in hospital with a Polish doctor to confirm his condition as he lies dying from starvation and dehydration.
RS’ mother, sister, and entire birth family are very clear about what his wishes would be and their desire to care for him. The judge has instead given weight to the opinion of RS’ wife, relying on a statement made by him that he would not wish to be a burden.
Nobody wishes to be a burden on their family, but this should not be used as an excuse to dehydrate and starve them to death against their wishes. Many people will now be concerned as a result of this judgement.
RS’ case is creating controversy in Poland where what is happening to RS is rightly considered barbaric and inhumane. The refusal to assist the Polish government in repatriating their citizen is placing straing on the relationship between our two countries.
Repatriating RS will cost the NHS nothing. The Polish government are willing, able and ready to airlift RS to Poland the moment he is released. Sign the petition now urging the Foreign Secretary to urgently intervene, reinstate fluids and nutrition and allow for RS to be taken back to his birth family in Poland.
More information:
UK Court forbids Polish Consul General from visiting Pole dying in English hospital (LifeSiteNews)
https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/breaking-uk-court-forbids-polish-consul-general-from-visiting-pole-dying-in-english-hospital
Hope dims for Pro-Life Polish Catholic now dying of hunger and thirst in UK hospital (LifeSiteNews)
Depriving people of food and water despite their previously expressed religious beliefs. Statement on RS case by the Anscombe Bioethics Centre:
http://bioethics.org.uk/foodandfluidsbriefing.pdf
Hospital withdraws food and fluids from a disabled man after ECHR green light (Christian Concern):
This petition is...
Intervene NOW in the case of Polish man 'RS'
Dear Mr Raab
I am writing to request your urgent intervention in the case of ‘RS’, a Polish patient who is currently being deliberately deprived of hydration and nutrition in a Plymouth hospital against the wishes of his birth family.
RS is a Catholic with religiously conservative views, who had previously professed strong pro-life beliefs, objecting to both abortion and euthanasia in all circumstances and who had strongly condemned a court’s decision to withdraw life-saving treatment from toddler, Alfie Evans.
Despite his alleged statement to his wife that he would not wish to be a burden on his family, it is abundantly clear that ‘RS’ would not consent to his current course of treatment. Catholic beliefs on end of life care do not consider the provision of food and water as being in the same category as assisted ventilation; this is not extraordinary or burdensome treatment, or even medical treatment, but basic care.
The courts have refused to consider video taken by RS’ family evidencing his condition may have improved and rejected the testimony of two neurological experts
The Polish government has offered to airlift RS back to Poland and are willing and able to care for their citizen in his country - yet this has been refused by the court.
Furthermore the court has also declined to allow the Polish Consul General from visiting RS as he lies dying, from dehydration and starvation in hospital, which goes against the Vienna convention.
An expressed and understandable fear about being a burden to others should never be used as an excuse to deprive them of food and water, especially when this goes against their deeply held beliefs. This decision will be very concerning for many people.
What is happening to RS is a scandal. Poland is a majority Catholic country where the withdrawal of hydration and nutrition is considered barbaric and this incident is bound to undermine trust and strain the previously friendly relationship between our two countries.
I urge you to do everything in your power to intervene and allow for RS to be sent back to his home country where he can be cared for by his birth family.
