Noelia Castillo, a 25-year-old Spanish woman who fought a lengthy legal battle for the right to euthanasia, has died by assisted death. Castillo, who was paraplegic and suffered from psychiatric illness, ended her life on Thursday evening in a medical facility in Sant Pere de Ribes, Barcelona province.
Castillo had struggled with psychiatric issues since her teenage years and attempted suicide in October 2022 after being sexually assaulted, leaving her in constant pain and using a wheelchair. She applied for euthanasia under Spain's 2021 law, but her father and the ultra-conservative group Christian Lawyers opposed it, arguing her psychiatric condition impaired her decision-making.
After nearly two years of legal challenges through Spanish courts and the European Court of Human Rights, which rejected her father's request for a hold on the procedure, Castillo's wish was granted. In a TV interview days before her death, she said: 'I just want to go peacefully now and to stop suffering.'
Spain's euthanasia law, effective since June 2021, allows assisted dying for those with serious and incurable illnesses causing unbearable suffering. As of end 2024, 1,123 people had used it. Candidates must submit two written requests and undergo consultations before approval by a regional committee.
Christian Lawyers held a press conference outside the hospital, calling for the law's abolition. Castillo, however, stated she did not want to be seen as an example, saying: 'I just feel that my life is my life.'
