Source, Facebook
Shanti De Corte, 23, who witnessed the attacks in the Belgian capital Brussels on March 22, 2016 at Zaventem Airport and could not recover from the trauma she experienced, ended her life as a result of euthanasia.
Her mother, Marielle, revealed to Belgian public broadcaster VRT that Shanti De Corte voluntarily ended her life on 7 May.
According to the Brussels press, the last words of De Corte, who chose the right to die with the support of his family, were “I’m going in peace, know that I miss you already.” it happened.
Shanti De Corte witnessed the attacks in Brussels on March 22, 2016, in which 32 people died and 300 were injured, at Zaventem Airport.
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attacks.
De Corte, a senior student at Sint-Rita College in Antwerp’s Konticht district, was preparing to go to Rome, the capital of Italy, for a school trip with 90 of his friends.
At 7:58 am Shanti and her friends were handing over their bags and waiting to receive boarding passes, when two explosions occurred in rapid succession and the ceiling collapsed on them.
According to her mother’s statements to the press, Shanti de Corte never felt safe again.
According to her mother, Shanti De Corte, who always hoped for a livable life, was caught in a battle she could not win. She lived in constant fear and completely lost her sense of security. Her fear limited her so much that she couldn’t do anything she wanted.
He attempted suicide
A few weeks after the incident, sleep problems began. On the other hand, during the French holiday he went with his family in July, panic attacks started one after another.
Afraid of going into crowded environments, Shanti did not leave her room during the 3-week vacation.
Returning from vacation in Belgium, Shanti was diagnosed with “severe post-traumatic stress disorder and major depression”.
The young woman, who was treated for a long time in a clinic, attended the commemoration ceremony at Zaventem Airport on March 22, 2017, the first year of the attacks.
She thought this event would do her good, but during the ceremony her traumas resurfaced. The next day, he attempted suicide by taking an overdose of drugs.
According to her mother, Shanti De Corte, who was treated at the clinic again, was discharged on 30 August. Shanti, who started her university education on November 1, 2017, had a hard time adapting to school and classes due to the drugs she used.
Explaining that he often lived through social media, Shanti tried to settle accounts with the attackers through these messages.
In this process, his family hoped that Shanti’s troubles would pass in time. However, it did not. The young woman attempted to commit suicide again in 2020 after her illness increased.
In the emergency room, he asked his mother for the first time, “Why can’t I just die?” she asked.
Marielle says that at that moment she understood her daughter. Shanti wanted to say goodbye not only to life, but to her family and friends. That’s how the idea of euthanasia was born that day.
Anne Marielle describes her current feelings as follows:
“Something like this is really hard, but at that moment, as a mother, the only thing you can do for your child is to be there and support him. You always hoped he would get better but he couldn’t do it. I also felt from the beginning that this is what he really wanted.”
‘We are grateful for the extra time we gained’
After that day, the application process for euthanasia began. While medical and forensic investigations continue for his right to die, Shanti embarked on his journey in March 2016, which was interrupted by the attacks.
The young woman, who went to Rome with her family, fulfilled her last wish.
“He wanted to see Shanti Roma with us. It was really important to him. He enjoyed it a lot, too. It was a very intense feeling for him,” his mother explains.
After the completion of the legal process, Shanti De Corte said goodbye to her family and friends on May 7, 2022 and ended her life voluntarily under the supervision of a doctor.
Shanti’s last words were:
“I laughed and cried until the last day. I loved and was allowed to feel what true love is. Tears of love flowed softly down my face. Now I’m leaving in peace, know that I miss you already.”
Anne Marielle thinks she and Shanti achieved a lot despite all the difficulties. He is also peaceful because he can say goodbye to his daughter; “We’re grateful for the extra time we got,” she says.