Spanish gang-rape victim left paraplegic after jumping off a roof in suicide bid dies by euthanasia after year-long legal battle with father

A paraplegic gang rape victim has become the first person to die by euthanasia in Spain after courts rejected her father’s efforts to stop the procedure.

Noelia Castillo, 25, of Barcelona, ​​died Thursday at the Sant Pere de Ribes assisted living facility where she lived, ending a legal battle that lasted more than a year and a half.

Christian Lawyers, the ultra-conservative Catholic organization representing Noelia’s father, said this evening: ‘Noelia has already been euthanised.

‘At Christian Lawyers, we are deeply saddened by his death and condemn that this case has exposed serious flaws in euthanasia law that does not protect the most vulnerable people.

‘We call on politicians to use his story to encourage urgent changes and prevent something like this from happening again.

‘Thank you to everyone who empathized with the family during these difficult times.

‘You can tell that the parents who tried to support him in his rehab for years are hurt.’

It is said that he asked his family to spend more time with him before he was euthanized in the procedure, which started at 18.30 local time.

Noelia Castillo and her mother Yolanda said: ‘I disagree but I will always be there for her’

They would leave him alone with the doctor, who administered the three injections around 5.30pm but would remain there for at least another half hour.

The 25-year-old was left paralyzed from the waist down after attempting suicide and jumping from the roof..

His request for euthanasia was approved by the Catalan government in July 2024, but was later delayed after his father launched a series of legal challenges supported by Christian Lawyers.

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.’

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

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.

Days before she attempted suicide, she was reportedly sexually abused by one of her ex-boyfriends and later by three other men, according to Spanish media.

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

On October 4, 2022, he jumped from the fifth floor of a building after using cocaine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down.

According to El Mundo, he suffered a severe spinal cord injury that left him unable to move from the waist down and caused severe neuropathic pain and urinary incontinence.

‘My father saw me fall and couldn’t do anything,’ said the 25-year-old actor, ‘But after everything he did, I don’t feel sorry for him anymore.

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 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?’

According to El Mundo, before her suicide attempt in 2022, the young woman reportedly tried to commit suicide by overdosing on drugs and harming herself.

According to reports, Castillo also suffers from borderline personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder with paranoia and suicidal ideation, leading to severe mood swings and instability.

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.’

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

Even though he is now dead, legal proceedings regarding 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 at a later date on whether there has been any violation of rights, i.e. on broader legal issues.

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