Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Noelia Castillo, 25, Dies by Euthanasia After Courts Uphold Her Request

The case spotlights how Spain's euthanasia law assesses consent for adults in severe, lasting pain.

Overview

  • Christian Lawyers, which represented her father, confirmed late Thursday that Noelia Castillo had died after the procedure went ahead in Catalonia.
  • A Catalan medical commission approved her request in July 2024, and her father's appeals were rejected by regional courts, Spain's Supreme Court, and the Constitutional Court in February 2026.
  • An urgent bid this week to the European Court of Human Rights to halt the procedure was denied, though the court may still review aspects of the case later.
  • Castillo sought euthanasia after a 2022 sexual assault in a state-supervised facility and a subsequent suicide attempt left her paraplegic and in chronic pain, with medical reviewers and judges finding she had capacity to consent.
  • Spain legalized euthanasia in 2021 for adults who can give informed consent and face unbearable, chronic conditions, with safeguards that require repeated written requests and independent medical review.