The BBC website's Religion and Ethics section on euthanasia explained (accessed on Aug. 20, 2007) :

“Non-Voluntary Euthanasia: The person cannot make a decision or cannot make their wishes known. This includes cases where:

  • the person is in a coma
  • the person is too young (e.g. a very young baby)
  • the person is senile
  • the person is mentally retarded to a very severe extent
  • the person is severely brain damaged
  • the person is mentally disturbed in such a way that they should be protected from themselves.”
    • Aug. 20, 2007