Gang-rape victim, 25, left paraplegic and in constant pain after jumping off a roof in suicide bid will die by euthanasia today after Spanish court over-ruled father’s bid to stop her

A 25-year-old gang rape victim who was left paralyzed from the waist down after jumping from a roof in a suicide attempt is set to die by euthanasia today after Spanish courts rejected her father’s efforts to stop the procedure.

Noelia Castillo of Barcelona will be processed at the Sant Pere de Ribes assisted living facility where she lives on Thursday, ending a legal battle that lasted more than a year and a half.

The request for euthanasia was approved by the Catalan government in July 2024, but was later delayed when his father, supported by the ultra-conservative Catholic Christian Lawyers group, launched a series of legal challenges.

These objections were rejected at various levels of the Spanish legal system, including the Constitutional Court and the Supreme Court, paving the way for euthanasia.

A last-minute stop attempt at the European Court of Human Rights was also rejected this week.

The court will continue to examine the case, but its decision means there is no need to postpone the procedure.

Castillo, who has been confined to a wheelchair since 2022, spoke openly about his decision and said that the pain he experienced led him to this decision.

‘Now I want to go and stop suffering, period. None of my family supports euthanasia. ‘What about the pain I’ve endured all these years?’ he said.

‘I don’t feel like doing anything: not going out, not eating. ‘It’s very difficult for me to sleep, my back and legs hurt.’

“The happiness of a father, a mother or a sister cannot be more important than the life of a daughter,” he said, referring to family members.

One report He talked about how he wanted to spend his last moments, broadcast on the Spanish Antena 3 program Y Ahora Sonsoles.

‘I told them how I wanted it to be. I want to die looking beautiful. I always thought I wanted to die looking good. I will wear my best dress and put on make-up; “It will be something simple,” he said.

He invited his family to say goodbye in advance but said he wanted to be alone while the injection was given.

Castillo, who spent most of her childhood in a nursing home due to her parents’ addiction and mental health problems, said the gang rape in 2022 was a turning point.

She was reportedly raped by one of her ex-boyfriends and three other men days before she attempted suicide, according to Spanish media.

“I didn’t report it because it happened days before I tried to kill myself,” she said of the attack.

He later jumped from the fifth floor of a building after using cocaine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

‘My father saw me fall and couldn’t do anything,’ he said. ‘But after everything he’s done, I don’t feel sorry for him anymore.’

Her father tried to block her euthanasia through court, arguing that he was against her right to die, but she accused him of not respecting her wishes.

“He did not respect my decisions and will never respect them,” he said in his last interview.

‘He wanted to put the house he bought in my name so he could continue collecting alimony. From now on, he doesn’t want to put the house in my name, he doesn’t want to pay for the funeral, he doesn’t want to participate in the euthanasia or funeral, and he says he doesn’t want to know anything more about me. That’s why I’m already dead.

‘I understand. He’s a father and he doesn’t want to lose his daughter, but he doesn’t listen to me. He never calls me, he never writes to me. All he does is bring me food. Why does he want me alive? To keep me in hospital?’ he added.

Spain is one of the few countries to legalize euthanasia, following a 2021 law that includes strict requirements.

The law stipulates that anyone of sound mind who is suffering from a ‘serious and incurable disease’ or a ‘chronic and disabling’ condition can request assistance in dying.

The father said his daughter suffered from mental disorders that “may affect her ability to make free and informed decisions” as required by law.

He also said there were signs that he had changed his mind and that his disorder did not cause “unbearable physical or psychological pain.”

Despite the intense legal battle, Castillo contacted Antena 3 to leave a final message after learning of the euthanasia date.

‘I finally made it. “Let’s see if I can finally rest because I can’t stand this family anymore, the pain, everything that tortures me because of what I’ve been through,” he said. ‘I don’t want to be an example to anyone, this is just my life, that’s all.’

Espinosa de los Monteros, a member of parliament from the VOX conservative party, supports the demonstration against the euthanasia law in front of the Congress of Deputies in Madrid

Her mother, who was also present in the interview, said she wished there was a ‘magic wand’ that would change her daughter’s mind.

Although euthanasia will now proceed, legal proceedings in the case will continue.

Christian Lawyers has filed further complaints alleging misconduct against medical professionals and members of the Guarantee and Evaluation Commission of Catalonia, as well as against the former regional health minister.

The European Court of Human Rights is also expected to rule on whether there has been any violation of rights at a later date; This means the broader legal issues raised by Castillo’s case will remain unresolved even after his death.

For help and support, call Samaritans free of charge, completely anonymously, from a UK phone on 116 123 or visit samaritans.org.