Noelia Castillo, a 25-year-old woman from Barcelona, has died by euthanasia following an 18-month legal battle with her father over her right to end her life. Castillo had been left paraplegic after a 2022 suicide attempt and sought assisted dying under Spain’s 2021 euthanasia law.
The Catalan government had approved her request in the summer of 2024, but the process was temporarily blocked after her father, supported by the conservative group Abogados Cristianos, appealed. He argued that Castillo’s decision was influenced by a personality disorder and cited the state’s responsibility to protect vulnerable individuals.
The European Court of Human Rights eventually ruled in Castillo’s favor, clearing the way for her to undergo euthanasia. Abogados Cristianos noted her death on X, describing her case as highlighting “serious flaws” in Spain’s euthanasia legislation.
Speaking publicly before her death, Castillo recounted a difficult childhood and traumatic experiences, emphasizing her wish to end her suffering. “Nobody in my family is in favour,” she said. “I just want to leave in peace and stop the pain.”
Her mother, Yolanda, said she did not agree with the decision but “respected” her daughter’s choice. Castillo requested to be alone with her doctor when the lethal injection was administered, though family members were allowed to say goodbye.
In 2024, Spain granted 426 requests for assisted dying, but Castillo’s case was the first to go to court for judicial determination, setting a significant precedent for the application of the country’s euthanasia law.
