A 25-year-old Spanish woman, Noelia Castillo, died by euthanasia on Thursday in Barcelona after a prolonged legal fight, including against her own father, for the right to end her life.Castillo, who had been paralysed from the waist down following a suicide attempt in 2022, chose assisted dying to escape years of physical pain and emotional trauma.
“I just cannot go on anymore”
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?”
A traumatic past
Castillo’s life had been marked by hardship from a young age. She had been undergoing psychiatric treatment since her early teens and was later 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 took a toll on her mental health.Soon after, she made multiple suicide attempts. In October 2022, she jumped from a fifth-floor window, an act that left her with a severe spinal cord injury and permanent paralysis.Confined to a wheelchair and living in constant, debilitating pain, Castillo described her world as “very dark” and said even sleeping had become difficult.
Legal battle with father over right to die
Although Spain legalised euthanasia in 2021, Castillo’s path to assisted dying was far from straightforward.Her request was approved in 2024 by Catalan authorities, but her father, Geronimo Castillo, opposed the decision, arguing that her mental health conditions impaired her judgement. Backed by advocacy group Christian Lawyers, he launched a series of legal challenges to block the procedure.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.A final appeal to the European Court of Human Rights was also dismissed earlier this month, clearing the way for her decision to be carried out.
Family divided till the end
While her father fought to keep her alive, her mother expressed sorrow but acceptance.“I do not agree, but I will always be by her side,” her mother said. Castillo, however, remained firm: “He hasn’t respected my decision, and he never will.”Despite everything, Castillo had a clear vision for her final moments. She spoke about wanting to “die beautiful”, wearing a dress, with makeup, and surrounded by meaningful photographs from her life.She invited her family to say goodbye but chose to be alone at the time of her death.
