Today this young woman will die: The story gripping all of Spain

p>The story of 25-year-old Noelia Castillo from Catalonia has become one of the most high-profile euthanasia cases in Spain since the legislation was enacted in 2021. Following nearly two years of legal proceedings, the young woman was granted final authorisation for the procedure—a decision upheld by all judicial levels, including the European Court of Human Rights. Throughout this period, Noelia was embroiled in a legal battle with her father, who sought to challenge her right to assisted dying.

In October 2022, Noelia attempted to take her own life by jumping from a fifth-floor window after surviving a traumatic gang rape by three men. The fall left Noelia paralysed from the waist down. Since then, she has been confined to a wheelchair and has endured debilitating chronic pain.

In her final interview with Antena 3, Noelia revealed that before the incident, she had struggled with suicide attempts and self-harm from a young age. She shared that she had experienced a turbulent childhood, moving through several foster homes following her parents’ divorce. "I eventually fell in with the wrong crowd, used drugs, and one of my first boyfriends raped me while I slept," she recounted.

Noelia explained that she could no longer bear the constant physical and psychological torment. She had been receiving psychiatric care since the age of 13. Over time, her condition worsened, leading to diagnoses including obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder.

I have always felt alone; I was never understood, and no one ever showed me empathy. I’ve always found it difficult to connect with others.

Noelia Castillo

Noelia submitted her request for euthanasia in April 2024, and the regional commission approved it in July. However, her father intervened and launched a legal battle to stop the procedure, represented by the law firm "Christian Lawyers." In August 2024, a court temporarily suspended the euthanasia just one day before it was scheduled to take place. This triggered a protracted legal saga that captivated the national media.

A Barcelona court eventually ruled that the father had no right to contest the decision of his adult daughter, noting she "retains the capacity to make any decision, including the choice of euthanasia." This was subsequently affirmed by Spain's higher courts and the European Court of Human Rights.

"Before requesting euthanasia, I saw my world as very dark, and the end seemed just as dark. I had no goals or plans—and I still don’t," Noelia said.

I don’t like where the world is going. I prefer to disappear. Everything is only getting worse.

Noelia Castillo

Noelia believes that few understand the reality of her situation and that many public opinions are born of ignorance. Despite the societal debate and legal obstacles, she remains resolute in her choice.

I’ve finally done it. We’ll see if I can finally rest. I can no longer tolerate this family, I can no longer tolerate the pain, I can no longer tolerate everything that haunts me.

Noelia Castillo

Noelia has declined to have her mother present at the time of her passing: "She said she wanted to be with me, as she was at the moment of my birth, and close my eyes. But my answer is no." Her father will also be absent from both the procedure and her funeral. According to Noelia, he told her that for him, "she was already dead."

"I don't understand why he wants my life if he doesn’t listen to me," she reflected.

"I am leaving, and you are all staying here with all this pain. Но I ask: what about all the pain I’ve endured all these years? I want to go peacefully and stop suffering," she concluded.

The euthanasia procedure is scheduled to take place today, 26 March, at 18:00.