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Topics: World News, News, Life, True Life, Real Life
Rhianna Benson
Topics: World News, News, Life, True Life, Real Life
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide, which some readers may find distressing.
A 25-year-old woman has died in Spain after being euthanised, despite her family's lengthy attempts to object their daughter's decision.
Noelia Castillo Ramos, from Barcelona, is confirmed to have passed away on Thursday evening (26 Mar), becoming the first citizen of Spain to undergo medically assisted suicide.
Her application for the procedure to end her life was unanimously approved by a specialised expert committee in Catalonia in 2024 on the grounds of her mental health and wellbeing.
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Noelia had previously attempted to take her own life several times. One attempt in 2022 left her paraplegic and battling constant pain after she jumped from a fifth-floor window, as per Evri Magaci.
Noelia's death comes following a drawn-out legal battle with her father, who previously filed a legal objection, claiming she suffered from a personality disorder that affects her judgment.
He also argued: "The obligation of the state to protect the lives of people, especially the most vulnerable."
Despite his pleas, the ruling was made in Noelia's favour, with a judge claiming they'd observed 'no evidence of a scientific or expert character has been presented to contradict the many medical reports which support the decision [to die]'.
Noelia's father made one final attempt to have his daughter’s wishes blocked by taking the case to the European Court of Human Rights.
His request for interim measures to be installed to stop Noelia's euthanasia was rejected on 10 March, however (as per El País).
Her death was confirmed by a campaign group of Christian lawyers (Abogados Cristianos), who'd previously backed her father's stance in court.
They wrote in a statement: "Noelia has already undergone euthanasia. From Christian Lawyers, we deeply regret her death and denounce that this case highlights the serious shortcomings of the euthanasia law, which does not protect the most vulnerable people.
"We ask politicians to ensure that her story serves to drive urgent changes and prevent something like this from happening again."
The statement added: "Thank you to everyone who has empathised with the family during these very difficult times.
"You can understand that her parents are devastated after years of trying to support her in her rehabilitation."
Voluntary euthanasia and assisted death were both legalised for Spanish citizens in March 2021.
The legislation stipulated that the patient had to be an adult with a 'serious and incurable' condition that inflicted 'unbearable suffering' on them.
For reference, voluntary euthanasia refers to adult patients receiving a lethal injection from their doctor, whilst assisted death refers to a practitioner prescribing lethal drugs to a terminally ill person.
During her final TV interview, given to Televisión Pública Noticias earlier this week, Noelia explained: "None of my family is in favour. I am a pillar of the family," she continued. "I am leaving them suffering. But what about my suffering?
"I was very clear from the beginning. I simply want to go in peace, stop suffering, and that’s it. The happiness of a father or mother should not be above the happiness of a daughter."
According to a number of sources, cited by Sky News, Noelia's death was scheduled for 5pm local time on Thursday.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.