A UK teenager has died following a judge's rare ruling.
The 19-year-old, who is being referred to as "BG," had been in court recently, fighting for the rights to her own body. Two months ago, a judge ordered that she could be taken off lifesaving treatment, accommodating her own wishes.
On Friday, Sir Jonathan Cohen, a justice for the UK's Court of Protection, announced the "tragic and deeply distressing" death.
Cohen made the controversial decision in May. The decision came after lawyers for a mental health trust representing the teen requested that she be permitted autonomy over her body. The ruling allowed for the ceasing of artificial nutrition and hydration.
While the outcome is deeply tragic, the teen's fight was supported by the teen's parents as well as a psychiatrist. BG had been in the hospital for years and had consistently suffered mental health issues. She was suffering from severely disordered eating. Still, it seems that the ruling reflected the idea that all measures to support the teen in her own healing had already been taken.
Cohen said that experts supported the position. "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."
He continued, pointing to how the law views cases where individuals may not be able to make their own decisions. "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," he said.
The teen's death is utterly heartbreaking. Yet it will likely be an important part of conversations about mental health and body autonomy. Likewise, as an individual's right to live or die continues to be debated, the incident may prove to be a significant talking point.
