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Rachel V Thomas

Noelia Castillo: 25-year-old Spanish Woman Dies By Euthanasia After Long Legal Battle

A 25-year-old Spanish woman has died by <span>euthanasia</span> after a long battle with her father over her right to die. 

<span>Noelia Castillo</span>, a rape survivor who was left paralyzed in her lower half of the body after a suicide attempt in 2022, died on Thursday evening at a hospital in Barcelona. 

While the Catalan regional government had granted her the right to assisted dying in 2024, her father, Geronimo <span>Castillo</span>, had raised legal objections. Her wish to ‘die in peace’ has also sparked debate around the country’s right-to-die law -- legalized in 2021. 

Much of Castillo’s life during her childhood was spent in care homes. Her father's problems with alcohol had a significant impact on her mental health, and she underwent psychiatric treatment since her early teens.

Later, she was diagnosed with conditions including obsessive-compulsive disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder. 

She was raped twice: first by an ex-boyfriend and later by three men in 2022 while at a state-supervised facility for vulnerable youth.

The assaults, which took a severe toll on her mental health, led her to make multiple suicide attempts.

In October 2022, she jumped from a fifth-floor window, which left her with a severe spinal cord injury and permanent paralysis in her lower body. 

<strong>Also read: </strong><a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/harish-rana-indias-first-passive-euthanasia-case-dies-at-aiims-article-153910183" data-type="tilCustomLink">Harish Rana, India’s First Passive Euthanasia Case, Dies at AIIMS</a>

<h2>Noelia Castillo’s Fight For Euthanasia </h2>

Castillo chose assisted dying to escape years of physical pain and emotional trauma.

In her final days, Castillo spoke openly about her suffering and her decision. In an interview with Spanish broadcaster Antena 3, she said: “I just cannot go on anymore… I want to go in peace now and stop suffering.”

Speaking earlier to Spanish TV programme Y Ahora Sonsoles, she added: “I am very clear… none of my family is in favour of euthanasia. But what about all the pain I’ve suffered during all these years?”

In 2024, the Catalan regional government granted her the right to assisted dying in 2024. But the process was suspended after legal objections raised by her father. According to her father, her mental health did not allow her to make better decisions about herself. 

<h2>Noelia Castillo: 18-month-long Legal Battle </h2>

Christian Lawyers (Abogados Cristianos) had been attempting to block her death until the last moment. For 18 months, the case moved through multiple courts, eventually reaching Spain’s Constitutional Court, which ruled there was “no violation of fundamental rights” in allowing her euthanasia. 

Finally, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled this week in Noelia Castillo's favour, and her death was eventually confirmed late on Thursday. 

In a TV interview this week, she said nobody in her family had supported her decision to die by euthanasia, and her father "hasn't respected my decision and never will". 

"I want to go in peace now and stop suffering," she told Antena 3 TV the day before she died.

<h2>Critics Call Her Death A Failure Of The State </h2>

"For a girl who obviously has had a very tough life, which we all regret, the only thing that could be offered to her by the healthcare system is death," said José María Fernández, of Christian Lawyers. 

The opposition conservative People's Party (PP), which voted against a 2021 euthanasia law, had a similar response. 

Several senior Catholic leaders in Spain have sharply criticised the euthanasia of 25-year-old Noelia Castillo, calling it a reflection of societal failure and raising concerns over the country’s right-to-die law.“We have all failed as a society,” Jose Mazuelos Perez, Bishop of the Canary Islands, was quoted as saying by EuroNews. 

In a joint statement, church leaders said the case reflected “an accumulation of personal suffering and institutional shortcomings”.

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A 25-year-old Spanish woman has died by euthanasia after a long battle with her father over her right to die.  Noelia Castillo, a rape survivor who was left paralyzed in her lower half of the body after a suicide attempt in 2022, died on Thursday evening at a hospital in Barcelona.  While the Catalan regional government had granted her the right to assisted dying in 2024, her father, Geronimo Castillo, had raised legal objections. Her wish to ‘die in peace’ has also sparked debate around the country’s right-to-die law -- legalized in 2021.  Who Is Noelia Castillo?  Much of Castillo’s life during her childhood was spent in care homes. Her father's problems with alcohol had a significant impact on her mental health, and she underwent psychiatric treatment since her early teens. Later, she was diagnosed with conditions including obsessive-compulsive disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder. She was raped twice: first by an ex-boyfriend and later by three men in 2022 while at a state-supervised facility for vulnerable youth. The assaults, which took a severe toll on her mental health, led her to make multiple suicide attempts. In October 2022, she jumped from a fifth-floor window, which left her with a severe spinal cord injury and permanent paralysis in her lower body.  Also read: Harish Rana, India’s First Passive Euthanasia Case, Dies at AIIMSNoelia Castillo’s Fight For Euthanasia  Castillo chose assisted dying to escape years of physical pain and emotional trauma. In her final days, Castillo spoke openly about her suffering and her decision. In an interview with Spanish broadcaster Antena 3, she said: “I just cannot go on anymore… I want to go in peace now and stop suffering.” Speaking earlier to Spanish TV programme Y Ahora Sonsoles, she added: “I am very clear… none of my family is in favour of euthanasia. But what about all the pain I’ve suffered during all these years?” In 2024, the Catalan regional government granted her the right to assisted dying in 2024. But the process was suspended after legal objections raised by her father. According to her father, her mental health did not allow her to make better decisions about herself.  Noelia Castillo: 18-month-long Legal Battle  Christian Lawyers (Abogados Cristianos) had been attempting to block her death until the last moment. For 18 months, the case moved through multiple courts, eventually reaching Spain’s Constitutional Court, which ruled there was “no violation of fundamental rights” in allowing her euthanasia.  Finally, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled this week in Noelia Castillo's favour, and her death was eventually confirmed late on Thursday.  In a TV interview this week, she said nobody in her family had supported her decision to die by euthanasia, and her father "hasn't respected my decision and never will".  "I want to go in peace now and stop suffering," she told Antena 3 TV the day before she died.  Critics Call Her Death A Failure Of The State  "For a girl who obviously has had a very tough life, which we all regret, the only thing that could be offered to her by the healthcare system is death," said José María Fernández, of Christian Lawyers.  The opposition conservative People's Party (PP), which voted against a 2021 euthanasia law, had a similar response.  Several senior Catholic leaders in Spain have sharply criticised the euthanasia of 25-year-old Noelia Castillo, calling it a reflection of societal failure and raising concerns over the country’s right-to-die law.“We have all failed as a society,” Jose Mazuelos Perez, Bishop of the Canary Islands, was quoted as saying by EuroNews.  In a joint statement, church leaders said the case reflected “an accumulation of personal suffering and institutional shortcomings”.

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