The Englaro Case: Withdrawal of treatment in Italy from a patient in a permanent vegetative state

Abstract

In 2009, the international media reported the case of Eluana Englaro, a 38-year-old woman in a Permanent Vegetative State (PVS) who died following the withdrawal of her feeding tube. By the time of her death, she had been unconscious for 17 years. For many years, her father had been seeking permission to allow her to die. His request was rejected by the courts several times and on different grounds, until the Italian Supreme Court finally granted him his wish. The case caused considerable political turmoil. The Government, the President, the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights all became involved. This paper gives an account of the history of the case, enriched by personal comments from the people directly involved and a memoir by Eluana’s father.