(LifeSiteNews) — Quebec’s commission on euthanasia has revealed that doctors reported killing 262 Quebecers since voluntary euthanasia was legalized in the province in December 2015 and that physicians violated the law in 21 deaths.

Health Minister Gaetan Barrette expressed surprise that three times more Quebecers were euthanized than he had foreseen. But he responded to Commission for End of Life Care’s first annual report by stating he will look into mitigating the one regulation that, according to report, doctors contravened in 18 of the 21 cases in which the laws safeguards were flouted.

That is Bill 52’s requirement for a second physician, independent of the patient, to give an objective opinion that the patient has no hope of recovery.

“In less than a year, not only have they found that the numbers are much higher than anticipated, but they are also already considering opening up the law further in order to reduce the protections in law for people in Quebec,” noted Alex Schadenberg, executive director of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition. “They’re moving very fast.” CONTINUE