Noelia Castillo, a 25-year-old Spanish woman, died on Thursday in Barcelona after being administered life-ending medication. Castillo had been at the center of a prolonged legal battle over her decision to undergo euthanasia, which was opposed by her parents.
Castillo, who had endured physical and emotional suffering, including paralysis and confinement to a wheelchair following a sexual assault, said she had attempted suicide twice. Medical experts concluded that she met Spain's legal criteria for euthanasia, describing her condition as serious, incurable, and causing severe, chronic suffering.
Castillo's case ultimately reached Spain's Supreme Court, which upheld her right to euthanasia in January. A final attempt to block the procedure at the European Court of Human Rights was also denied.
Spain's euthanasia law, which was legalized in 2021, requires multiple written requests and independent medical evaluations. Since the law came into effect, more than 1,100 people had undergone euthanasia in Spain by the end of 2024.
