Decriminalization of mercy killing and the right to a dignified death in the Peruvian legal system

López Ruiz M.D. · Clio. Revista de Historia, Ciencias Humanas y Pensamiento Critico. (2026) · DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18762759

Resumen

This study sought to determine the extent to which the decriminalization of mercy killing is necessary to guarantee effective access to the right to a dignified death within the Peruvian legal system. Methodologically, it is a qualitative investigation. Various techniques and methods were used, grounded in hermeneutics and the inductive method. Ten (10) lawyers, specialists in constitutional and criminal law, participated in the study. Interviews were conducted with these lawyers, and the interviews were subsequently structured, coded, and used to extract the categories of analysis. Inclusion criteria were defined, based on their experience, place of work, and availability of relevant documents. Exclusion criteria were defined, excluding lawyers who were not specialists in constitutional law and professionals from other disciplines, such as psychology or sociology. The findings indicate that experts agree that, when considering the decriminalization of euthanasia as a crime, clear legal, medical, and ethical parameters should exist, such as the occurrence of a terminal illness, the presence of irreversible suffering, the patient's informed consent, and a multidisciplinary review of each case. The conclusion demonstrates that, to guarantee access to a dignified death within the Peruvian legal system, it is necessary to decriminalize compassionate homicide.

Instituciones: Universidad César Vallejo