The Digester
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Spain allows 25-year-old woman to end her life after 20-month legal battle

Noelia Castillo was granted euthanasia under Spain’s 2021 assisted suicide law after courts up to the European Court of Human Rights upheld her decision despite family opposition.

Mar 26th 2026 · Spain

Insights

  • Noelia Castillo, 25, died by euthanasia at Sant Pere de Ribes hospital after a 20-month legal delay.
  • She became paraplegic after a 2022 suicide attempt and had diagnoses of obsessive compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder.
  • She told journalists about three episodes of sexual abuse that she did not report to police and said her suffering was both physical and emotional.
  • Her request was approved by the Catalonia Guarantee and Evaluation Commission on July 18, 2024, which found a nonrecoverable clinical situation causing severe dependence and chronic suffering.
  • Her father, supported by the Christian Lawyers group, appealed through five judicial levels up to the European Court of Human Rights, and all courts found she met legal requirements and was competent.
  • Assisted suicide has been legal in Spain since June 2021.

Sources