Teenager with a ‘severe eating disorder’ dies after a judge rules doctors could stop providing her with artificial nutrition and hydration, following an application from her mental health trust
- 19-year-old woman died after judge rules doctors could stop providing life-saving artificial nutrition and hydration that had been keeping her alive
- She passed away after Sir Jonathan Cohen made the unique ruling back in May
- The teenager was described as ‘highly intelligent and thoughtful’ by the judge
A teenager who had a ‘severe eating disorder’ has died after a judge ruled doctors could lawfully stop providing her with life-saving medical treatment following a plea from her mental health trust.
The 19-year-old woman, whose identity has remained private, was said to have had a ‘very complex condition’ that required artificial nutrients and hydration to be administered to her.
Sir Jonathan Cohen had made the unique ruling in May at a hearing in the Court of Protection, where judges consider issues relating to people who might lack the mental capacity to take decisions for themselves.
The judge announced the teenager’s death in a written ruling on Friday and described the case as ‘tragic and deeply distressing’.
She had suffered mental health challenges for more than a decade and had been in hospital ‘almost continually’ for three years, the court heard.
Sir Jonathan has not identified the teenager in his ruling but referred to her by the initials BG – and sang her praises as someone who had been both ‘highly intelligent and thoughtful’.
Lawyers representing a mental health trust responsible for the teenager’s care had applied for orders ‘permitting the ceasing of artificial nutrition and hydration’.
The application had been supported by the teenager, her parents and a psychiatrist.
Sir Jonathan Cohen had made the unique ruling in May at a hearing in the Court of Protection, where judges consider issues relating to people who might lack the mental capacity to take decisions for themselves
The judge said experts involved had agreed that ‘nothing more’ could be done to help the ‘highly intelligent and thoughtful’ young woman.
Sir Jonathan, who is based in London and also oversees hearings in the Family Division of the High Court, said he had been asked to make as ‘grave’ a decision as can be made.
‘This case is quite unlike any that I have come across,’ he said in the ruling.
‘The distinction lies above all in the fact of the agreement between experts that there is nothing more that can be done to help BG.
‘The law contains the strong presumption that all steps will be taken to preserve human life unless the circumstances are exceptional.
‘However, the principle is not absolute…’
The judge added: ‘To be asked to make an order which will be likely to lead to the death of a sentient, highly intelligent and thoughtful individual who, if otherwise able and minded, might accept treatment which could assist her is as grave a decision as can be made.
‘BG has made it completely clear over a prolonged period of time that she would wish to take her own decision and exercise her own autonomy over her body,’ said the judge.
‘Her very clear decision is that she wishes to be discharged from hospital, to go home and determine for herself, what if any nutrition or hydration she takes.
‘This is not a sudden decision. It has been a long and deeply held wish of hers.
‘I have had the obligation and privilege of reading her diary over many weeks.
‘It is a harrowing read, setting out her suffering and how it should be resolved.’
He went on: ‘Simply because all the evidence points one way does not extinguish the burden.
‘But, in the tragic and deeply distressing circumstances of this case, I am in no doubt that it is in BG’s best interests that I made the various declarations.’
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