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By Jasmine Laws
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A 25-year-old, paraplegic woman, who said she was raped on two occasions, died by euthanasia on Thursday, after her father's legal attempts to stop the proceedings were denied.
Noelia Castillo Ramos, who is from Barcelona, died in the Sant Pere de Ribes long-term care facility in the city, sources confirmed to the local news outlet EL PAÍS.
The Context
Euthanasia is the practice of deliberately ending a person's life to relieve suffering. Though passive euthanasia is more accepted, which is for patients who are already expected to die, active euthanasia, where medical professionals administer medication to end a patient's life, is a divisive issue worldwide. It is only legal in 10 U.S. states and the District of Columbia, although New York is also poised to bring in legislation allowing assisted dying.
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Supporters say it gives people self-determination, the right to decide how and when they die, and allows a person to die with dignity, as well as ending the person's suffering, while critics say that the practice could weaken society's perception of the importance of human life, and crosses boundaries regarding the patient-doctor relationship.
Who Is Noelia Castillo Ramos?
From the age of 13, after her parents separated, Ramos was placed in the care of the Catalan government, EL PAÍS reported, and at the time, she underwent psychiatric treatment. She was eventually diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD).
After a series of life-altering incidents in 2022, which left her a victim of rape and paraplegic, Ramos requested euthanasia.
Ramos obtained unanimous approval from the Catalan Guarantee and Evaluation Commission, a public agency that regulates and oversees assisted dying procedures in the northeastern region of Catalonia, in 2024.
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However, her father, Gerónimo Castillo, temporarily halted his daughter's plans by filing an order with a Barcelona court, meaning she was alive, against her will, for 601 days.
The 18-month legal battle ended when the European Court of Human Rights ruled in Ramos' favor, and her death was then planned to take place on March 26 at around 6 p.m. local time.
Her other family members also did not support her decision, EL PAÍS reported. In an interview with Spanish television, her mother, Yolanda, said she did not agree with her daughter's decision but "respected" it.
Ramos told the Spanish television channel Antena 3: "Let’s see if I can get some rest because I can’t take this family anymore, I can’t take the pain anymore, I can’t take everything that torments me in my head from what I’ve been through."
"Nobody in my family is in favor," she said. "I am leaving and you are staying here with all the pain, but what about all the suffering I have endured over the years? I just want to leave in peace and stop the pain."
"The happiness of a father or a mother or a sister shouldn't precede the happiness of a daughter," she added.
According to reports, Ramos said she wanted to be alone with her doctor when the lethal injection was performed. Her family members visited her in the hospital beforehand.
She intended to have four photos with her at the time of her death: one of her painting a portrait of her mother, one of her childhood puppy, one from her first day of school and one from her childhood, Sky News reported. Each of these photos, she reportedly said, captures some "happy" moments in her life.
What Happened To Noelia Castillo Ramos?
Ramos said that she was raped on two occasions, once by an ex-boyfriend and the second time by three boys in 2022. In October 2022, she jumped from the fifth-floor window of an apartment building in an attempt to end her own life, legal rulings state. This was after she'd previously tried to overdose on medication.
The fall left her paralyzed from the waist down. Her father also witnessed her attempt to take her own life in October 2022. Ramos told Spanish TV: "My father saw me fall and couldn't do anything. But after everything he's done, I don't feel sorry for him anymore," referring to his legal challenge of her decision to die by euthanasia.
Medical reports show that after her fall, she experienced severe and chronic pain with no hope of her medical situation improving.
She requested euthanasia, and the Catalan Guarantee and Evaluation Commission determined in July 2024 that, as she was living with an "irreversible" clinical condition causing her "severe dependency, chronic pain, and debilitating suffering," she met the necessary legal requirements to have the procedure.
As part of the legal battle started by her father, Ramos had to wait for rulings from five different courts before it could go ahead, EL PAÍS reported.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "988" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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