Family’s lasting message for woman euthanised after gang rape | World | News

A 25-year-old Spanish woman who was left paralyzed after jumping from a fifth-floor window following a gang rape was euthanized on Thursday after a long battle to end her life, according to her father’s lawyers. But before he died, he revealed his father’s enduring message to him.

Christian Lawyers, a staunch religious group that fought until the last moment to prevent assisted suicide on behalf of her father, also made a statement about X: “Noelia’s euthanasia was carried out. We pray for her soul and her family. May she rest in peace.”

Noelia Castillo Ramos, originally from Barcelona, ​​was scheduled to die by medically assisted suicide on Thursday, following months of disagreement with her father over the decision. He gave his latest interview to Antena 3 earlier in the week, providing a deeply personal perspective on his heartbreaking decision.

“I have four days left because they are going to euthanize me on the 26th,” Noelia told the local media outlet in Spanish, sparking a nationwide debate about medically assisted suicide in her home country.

Castillo became paralyzed from the waist down after suffering a serious spinal cord injury in 2024 when she jumped from the fifth floor of a building in an attempted suicide, reportedly triggered by a gang rape.

During his interview, Castillo revealed that he had known since the incident that he wanted to seek medically assisted suicide. However, his wish ran into many legal obstacles initiated by his own father, who was staunchly opposed to his choice.

His father argued that he had a personality disorder. Court documents reportedly show that the young woman was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and “relied on the Spanish mental health system” before she was sexually assaulted.

The young woman said that her father’s resistance to his choice increased her pain even more. She allegedly described the heartbreaking instance in which he said, “For her, he was already dead.”

After two years of legal battles, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) definitively ruled last Tuesday that the medical procedure could continue.

Similarly, Spain’s Constitutional Court recognized Castillo’s condition as “serious, chronic and disabling” and gave him preliminary authorization for the procedure.

Spain’s Organic Law 3/2021 (LORE) allows euthanasia and assisted suicide for Spanish citizens or residents experiencing serious, incurable or debilitating conditions that cause intolerable suffering.

The legislation allows both direct euthanasia administered by healthcare professionals and assisted suicide, classifying both as natural death. During the emotional interview, Castillo revealed that not a single family member supported his decision.

Still, he questioned whether his family’s happiness and comfort should take precedence over his own.

“None of my family is in favor of euthanasia. I am the pillar of the family. I make them suffer. What about my suffering?” he asked. “The happiness of a father, a mother or a sister should not be more important than a daughter’s happiness or a daughter’s life,” she said, having the right to decide whether to legally end her own life.

Castillo’s mother, Yolanda Ramos, voiced her opposition to her daughter’s decision. Still, in his final moments, he vowed to stay by the 25-year-old’s side.

“I disagree, but I will always be there for him,” Ramos reportedly said. “If he doesn’t want to live, I can’t take it anymore.”

In heartbreaking statements, Ramos revealed that he prepared a bag for the day his daughter died, although he kept the contents secret.

As Castillo prepared for his final days, he had a final message for his critics: “I just want to leave in peace and put an end to the pain.”