Spanish woman dies by euthanasia after long court battle with father
Kyiv • UNN
25-year-old paralyzed Noelia Castillo died after a long legal battle with her father. The ECHR confirmed her right to a dignified death despite family protests.
A Spanish woman who had long fought with her father for the right to end her life died on Thursday by euthanasia, UNN writes with reference to the BBC.
Details
Noelia Castillo, a 25-year-old resident of Barcelona, became paralyzed due to injuries sustained in a suicide attempt in 2022.
The Catalan government granted her the right to euthanasia in the summer of 2024, but the process was halted at the last moment after legal objections raised by her father with the support of the conservative human rights group "Christian Lawyers" (Abogados Cristianos).
He argued that his daughter suffered from a personality disorder that affected her ability to make decisions.
He also pointed to "the state's duty to protect people's lives, especially the most vulnerable, as in the case of a young person with mental health problems."
This appeal initiated an 18-month legal battle that culminated in a decision by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in favor of Noelia Castillo.
On Thursday evening, the organization Abogados Cristianos announced on X that Castillo had died as a result of euthanasia. The group stated that her case "highlights serious shortcomings" in Spanish euthanasia law.
Speaking on Spanish television earlier this week, Castillo said her father had tried to legally block her decision to die with dignity. "He did not respect my decision and never will," she said.
She also spoke about her difficult childhood, much of which she spent in care homes.
She said she was first sexually assaulted by her ex-boyfriend, with whom she lived for four years, after she took sleeping pills to help her sleep, and also said that in another instance she was attacked by several men in a nightclub.
The 25-year-old woman said she had always "felt alone" and never doubted that she wanted to make the decision for euthanasia.
"No one in my family supports this," she said. "I'm leaving, and you're staying here with all this pain, but what about all the suffering I've endured over the years? I just want to leave in peace and stop the pain. The happiness of a father, mother, or sister should not precede the happiness of a daughter."
Her family would be able to come and say goodbye, Noelia said, but added that she wanted to be alone with her doctor when the lethal injection was administered.
Her mother, Yolanda, said she disagreed with her daughter's decision but "respected" it.
Addition
Spain's euthanasia law came into effect in 2021. According to government data, 426 requests for assisted death were granted in 2024, the latest available year.
This was the first time a case had gone to court for resolution.