Woman, 23, who survived ISIS bomb attack but couldn’t live with the trauma ‘euthanised’ in Belgian clinic
A WOMAN who survived the Brussels airport terror attack has died having chosen to be euthanised after she suffered from severe depression and PTSD in the wake of the incident.
Shanti De Corte, 23, was at a Belgian airport with her school classmates in March 2016 when Islamic State terrorists set off a bomb.
Shanti, who was 17 at the time, escaped the explosion, which along with two other blasts, killed 32 people and left more than 300 others injured.
The then teenager didn’t suffer any physical wounds in the blasts.
But the psychological effects left her suffering from constant panic attacks and periods of depression from which she couldn’t break free of.
Shanti underwent rehabilitation treatment at a psychiatric hospital in her home town of Antwerp, Belgium, and took a number of anti-depressant medications to help her.
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Sadly though, she was unable to shake off her dark thoughts and tried to kill herself on two occasions in 2018 and 2020.
The troubled woman then opted to be euthanised earlier this year – a procedure which is legal in Belgium – and died on May 7, 2022, after two psychiatrists approved her request.
Shanti’s story was highlighted earlier this week when her mum, Marielle, revealed her daughter’s pain on Belgian outlet .
Marielle said: “That day really cracked her, she never felt safe after that.
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“She didn't want to go anywhere where other people were, out of fear.
“She also had frequent panic attacks and she never got rid of it.”
Shanti often took to social media to detail her experiences following the bombing and spoke of her battle with her declining mental health.
She said in one post: “I get a few medications for breakfast. And up to 11 antidepressants a day. I couldn't live without it.
“With all the medications I take, I feel like a ghost that can't feel anything anymore. Maybe there were other solutions than medications.”
According to Shanti’s school psychologist she had been suffering from severe depression before she opted to end her life.
She told : “There are some students who react worse than others to traumatic events.
“And having interviewed her twice, I can tell you that Shanti De Corte was one of those fragile students.”
The psychologist referred Shanti to a psychiatric hospital in Antwerp, where she regularly got treatment.
Shanti, though, tried to kill herself in 2018 after her mental health deteriorated following an altercation with another patient who sexually assaulted her.
Another unsuccessful attempt to take her own life occurred two years later, and following that, contacted an organisation that defends the right to “death with dignity”.
RTBF reported she asked the organisation to perform euthanasia due to “unbearable psychiatric suffering”.
In Belgium, euthanasia – defined as the practice of intentionally ending a person’s life to relieve pain and suffering – is legal for an individual who is in “a medically futile condition of constant and unbearable physical or mental suffering that cannot be alleviated, resulting from a serious and incurable disorder caused by illness or accident”.
According to RTBF, Shanti’s request to be euthanised was approved earlier this year by two psychiatrists.
The report said: “The woman was euthanised on May 7, 2022, surrounded by her family.”
Shanti wrote on social media on the day she was euthanised: “I was laughing and crying. Until the last day. I loved and was allowed to feel what true love is.
“Now I will go away in peace. Know that I miss you already.”
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Prosecutors in Antwerp have launched an investigation following complaints from a neurologist at the UZC Brugman academic clinical hospital in Brussels who has claimed the decision to euthanise Shanti “was made prematurely”.
Although the Federal Commission for the Control and Evaluation of Euthanasia in Belgium had no concerns over the case, neurologist Paul Deltenre said there were still different modalities of care and treatment available to Shanti that were not tried, according to RTBF.
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn't discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society - from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It's the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it's rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You're Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let's all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others... You're Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, , 0800 585 858
- Heads Together,
- Mind, , 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus,, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, , 116 123
- Movember,
- Anxiety UK , 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
