Edward Brongersma

He was a well-known advocate of pedophilia, and was the author of a number of books and journal articles defending male homosexual pedophilia, the most famous of which is his book Loving Boys[?].

In April 1998 he ended his own life by taking drugs which were given to him by his doctor, Philip Sutorius[?]. He had requested euthanasia because, although he was not terminally ill and was not in any pain or suffering, he was lonely, no longer felt useful, was 'tired of life' and believed his life was no longer worth living. Sutorius was prosecuted for violating Dutch law, which permits euthanasia only in cases where a person has a terminal illness or has unbearable and unending pain or suffering, which did not appear to apply in Brongersma's case. Sutorius was acquitted after the Court heard expert witnesses state that Brongersma was afflicted with unbearable suffering of a psychological nature. The Dutch Ministry of Justice appealed the acquittal; the appeal court overturned the original acquittal and convicted Sutorius, on the grounds that the kind of psychological suffering Brongersma was afflicted with was not what was meant by 'unbearable and unending pain or suffering' in Dutch euthanasia law. However, the appeal court did not give Sutorius any sentence, on the grounds that he had acted from compassion.