Noelia Castillo, a 25-year-old from Barcelona, passed away on Thursday at the Sant Pere de Ribes assisted care center, concluding a legal struggle that extended over a year and a half, according to reports.
Although Spain’s euthanasia law was enacted in 2021, Noelia’s case was the first to be brought before a judge for a ruling.
The Catholic conservative group Christian Lawyers, representing Noelia’s father, Geronimo Castillo, announced on Thursday evening, “Noelia has been euthanized.”
“At Christian Lawyers, we deeply regret her passing and highlight that this case brings to light the severe shortcomings of the euthanasia law, which fails to protect the most vulnerable individuals,” they stated.
“We urge politicians to use her story to drive urgent changes and prevent similar situations from occurring again.”
The case has been closely followed in Spain. Noelia’s youth, her family’s public battle to halt the process, and the circumstances leading to her euthanasia request have stirred public opinion, as the courts ultimately ruled in favor of her right to end her life.
Her Euthanasia Request Approved by Catalan Government
The 25-year-old was left paraplegic after jumping off a roof in a suicide attempt. Her request for euthanasia received approval from the Catalan government in July 2024, but it was delayed after her father, supported by Christian lawyers, launched several legal appeals.
These appeals were dismissed at various levels of Spain’s legal system, including the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court, clearing the way for the euthanasia to proceed. A last-minute attempt to halt it was also dismissed this week.
Spain’s euthanasia law, effective since 2021, saw 426 assisted suicide requests approved in 2024, according to government data. This was the first case brought to court for a judge’s decision.
Confined to a wheelchair since 2022, Castillo spoke openly about her decision and the suffering that, she said, led to it.
“I want to leave now and stop suffering, period. No one in my family agrees,” she stated. “But what about all the pain I’ve endured all these years?” She invited her family to say goodbye beforehand but expressed a wish to be alone when the injection was administered.
The Young Woman Was a Victim of Sexual Assault
Castillo spent much of her childhood in foster care due to her parents’ addiction issues and mental health struggles, and she stated that a gang rape in 2022 by three boys at a nightclub was a turning point.
Reportedly, she was sexually abused by a former boyfriend and later by three other men before attempting suicide, according to Spanish media. “I didn’t report it because days had passed before I tried to kill myself,” she said about the assault.
On October 4, 2022, after using cocaine, she jumped from the fifth floor of a building, resulting in paraplegia. She suffered a severe spinal cord injury, leaving her immobile from the waist down, with severe neuropathic pain and incontinence.
Her father sought to block her euthanasia, arguing against her right to die, but she accused him of not respecting her wishes.
Spain is among the few countries that have legalized euthanasia following a 2021 law with strict requirements. It stipulates that any mentally competent person suffering from a “serious and incurable disease” or a “chronic and incapacitating condition” can request assistance to die.
