‘Wanted to leave in peace’: Spanish gang rape survivor finally euthanized after 18-month legal battle with father

Noelia Castillo, a 25-year-old Spanish woman, died via euthanasia in Barcelona on Thursday after a long legal battle with her father for the right to end her own life.Castillo, who became paralyzed from the waist down after a suicide attempt in 2022, chose euthanasia to escape years of physical pain and emotional trauma.

“I just can’t go on any longer.”

In her final days, Castillo spoke openly about her pain and her decision. In an interview with Spanish broadcaster Antena 3, she said: “I can’t go on anymore… I want to go peacefully now and stop the pain.”She earlier told the Spanish TV show Y Ahora Sonsoles:“It’s clear to me… that my family is not in favor of euthanasia. But what about the pain I’ve endured all these years?”

a painful past

Castillo’s life was filled with hardships from a young age. She had been receiving psychiatric treatment since she was a teenager and was later diagnosed with conditions including obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder.She was raped twice: first by her ex-boyfriend and later in 2022 by three men at a state-supervised facility for vulnerable youth. The attacks took a toll on her mental health.Soon after, she attempted suicide multiple times. In October 2022, she jumped from a fifth-floor window, causing severe spinal cord injury and permanent paralysis.Confined to a wheelchair and living with constant, debilitating pain, Castillo described her world as “very dark” and even sleeping became difficult.

Legal battle with father over right to die

Although Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021, Castillo’s path to euthanasia was far from smooth.Her request was approved by Catalan authorities in 2024, but her father, Geronimo Castillo, opposed the decision, arguing that her mental health compromised her judgment. Backed by advocacy group Christian Lawyers, he launched a series of legal challenges to block the process.The case passed through several courts before reaching Spain’s Constitutional Court, which ruled that allowing her euthanasia “did not violate fundamental rights.”A final appeal to the European Court of Human Rights was also dismissed earlier this month, clearing the way for her decision to be implemented.

Family split to the end

While her father struggled to keep her alive, her mother expressed sadness but also acceptance.“I don’t agree, but I will always be by her side,” her mother said. Yet Castillo remained adamant: “He did not respect my decision and never will.”Still, Castillo had a clear vision of her final moments. She spoke of wanting to “die beautiful,” wearing a dress and makeup and surrounded by meaningful photos of her life.She invited her family to say goodbye but chose to be alone when she died.