The parents of a 12-year-old boy left in a comatose state have lost their latest court battle to stop his life support being turned off.
Archie Battersbee suffered “catastrophic” brain damage three months ago and a High Court ruled that doctors could lawfully stop treating him.
His parents, Hollie Dance and Paul Battersbee, were allowed to appeal the decision at the Court of Appeal but have now lost the latest legal fight.
Three Court of Appeal judges ruled that the High Court judge’s previous decision was not wrong.
The parents of Archie Battersbee, Paul Battersbee and Hollie Dance, want to keep their son on life support
(PA)
In Mr Justice Hayden’s original ruling, he described what had happened to Archie as a “tragedy of immeasurable dimensions”, but said that the medical evidence was “compelling and unanimous”.
Evidence presented to court showed that Archie is in a “comatose state”.
Doctors believe that Archie is brain dead
(PA)
However barrister Edward Devereux QC, who is representing Archie’s parents, argued that Mr Justice Hayden had not given “real or proper weight” to Archie’s previously expressed wishes and religious beliefs.
The court heard that Ms Dance found her son unconscious on 7 April and that she thought her son may have been taking part in an online challenge.
The 12-year-old has not regained consciousness since that date. Doctors who are treating him think that he is brainstem-dead and are arguing that it is in his best interests for life-support to be removed.
Three Court of Appeal judges ruled on Monday that doctors can lawfully stop providing life-support treatment to Archie.
Their decision came after lawyers told the court that Ms Dance believed that her son has tried to breathe independently while in hospital.
Her lawyers said that Ms Dance had seen indications that Archie, who is attached to a ventilator, has twice tried to breathe independently in the last few days.
More to follow..
