{"id":497019,"date":"2026-03-26T20:47:09","date_gmt":"2026-03-26T20:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/497019\/"},"modified":"2026-03-26T20:47:09","modified_gmt":"2026-03-26T20:47:09","slug":"gang-rape-victim-25-dies-by-euthanasia-after-fathers-legal-challenge-fails-world-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/497019\/","title":{"rendered":"Gang-rape victim, 25, dies by euthanasia after father&#8217;s legal challenge fails | World News"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>A paraplegic gang-rape victim has died by euthanasia after her father&#8217;s failed legal challenge.<\/p>\n<p>Warning: This article contains distressing content.<\/p>\n<p>Noelia Castillo Ramos, 25, said she was raped on two occasions, once by her ex-boyfriend and the second time by three boys in 2022, describing this as a turning point in her life.<\/p>\n<p>She jumped from the fifth-floor window of an apartment building in a cocaine-fuelled attempt to end her own life in October 2022 after previously overdosing on medication, according to legal rulings.<\/p>\n<p>The fall left her paralysed from the waist down, and she was suffering severe, chronic and incapacitating pain with no possibility of improvement, her medical reports show.<\/p>\n<p>Noelia, from Barcelona, <a href=\"https:\/\/news.sky.com\/topic\/spain-6015\/1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Spain<\/a>, died by euthanasia on Thursday evening, the hospital confirmed.<\/p>\n<p>It followed a long legal battle with her father, which ended with a ruling in her favour from the European Court of Human Rights.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I want to go now in peace and stop suffering, period,&#8221; Noelia had told Spanish TV programme <a href=\"https:\/\/www.atresplayer.com\/antena3\/programas\/entrevistas-de-sonsoles\/entrevistas-de-sonsoles\/avance-noelia-castillo-ramos-24-03-26_69c2e802f12c0800070d8bdb\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Y Ahora Sonsoles<\/a> in her only interview, recorded at her maternal grandmother&#8217;s house.<\/p>\n<p>Noelia, who was living in a Barcelona care home, said she had been &#8220;very clear&#8221; about her wish to die from the beginning.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;None of my family is in favour of euthanasia. But what about all the pain I&#8217;ve suffered during all these years,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;The happiness of a father, a mother, or a sister cannot be more important than the life of a daughter.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She said she &#8220;always felt alone&#8221; and &#8220;saw my world as very dark&#8221;, even before requesting euthanasia. She added that she doesn&#8217;t feel like &#8220;doing anything&#8221;, has back and leg pain and said sleeping was &#8220;very difficult&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Her mother, Yolanda &#8216;Yoli&#8217; Ramos, told the Spanish broadcaster that she hoped her daughter would change her mind, and would be by her side &#8220;until the very end&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sdc-article-image__item\" loading=\"lazy\" intrinsicsize=\"768x432\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/skynews-euthanasia-spain-protest_7203502.jpg\"   alt=\"Spain legalised euthanasia in 2021, despite protests. One March 2021 protest is pictured above. File pic: Reuters\" data-testid=\"article-image-image\"\/><\/p>\n<p>        Image:<br \/>\n        Spain legalised euthanasia in 2021, despite protests. One March 2021 protest is pictured above. File pic: Reuters<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;I want to die alone&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Noelia said she wanted to &#8220;die looking pretty, I want to die beautiful&#8221;, adding that she would wear her prettiest dress and put on some makeup.<\/p>\n<p>She said that while she had invited her family to say goodbye, she wanted to be alone in her bedroom at the care facility at the moment of her death.<\/p>\n<p>She intended to have four photos with her for her death: one of her painting a portrait of her mother, one of her childhood puppy, another from her first day of school and a fourth from her childhood, which she said are reflecting &#8220;happy&#8221; moments in her life.<\/p>\n<p>Noelia had been in psychiatric treatment since she was 13 and her parents separated. She was eventually diagnosed with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and borderline personality disorder (BPD).<\/p>\n<p>Her father witnessed her attempt to take her own life in October 2022.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;My father saw me fall and couldn&#8217;t do anything. But after everything he&#8217;s done, I don&#8217;t feel sorry for him anymore,&#8221; she told Y Ahora Sonsoles, referencing his legal challenge to stop her euthanasia.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;He hasn&#8217;t respected my decision and he never will.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Two-year legal battle<\/p>\n<p>Noelia&#8217;s euthanasia request was initially granted by a specialised expert committee in Catalonia in July 2024, with the procedure scheduled for 2 August 2024, but her father has blocked it ever since.<\/p>\n<p>Geronimo Castillo, supported by the ultra-conservative advocacy group Abogados Cristianos or Christian Lawyers, argued that Noelia&#8217;s mental illness impaired her ability to decide to end her life.<\/p>\n<p>During a nearly two-year-long legal battle, he took the case through Spain&#8217;s courts, finally reaching Spain&#8217;s highest tribunal, the Constitutional Court, in February. The court rejected his argument, ruling that there had been no violation of fundamental rights.<\/p>\n<p>          <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"sdc-article-image__item\" loading=\"lazy\" intrinsicsize=\"768x432\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/skynews-euthanasia-spain_7203503.jpg\"   alt=\"An anti-euthanasia protester in 2021 holds a sign saying: 'Killing is not progressive. Stop euthanasia'. File pic: Reuters\" data-testid=\"article-image-image\"\/><\/p>\n<p>        Image:<br \/>\n        An anti-euthanasia protester in 2021 holds a sign saying: &#8216;Killing is not progressive. Stop euthanasia&#8217;. File pic: Reuters<\/p>\n<p>As the final instance, Mr Castillo took the case to the European Court of Human Rights, where his request for interim measures to stop Noelia&#8217;s euthanasia was rejected on 10 March, according to newspaper <a href=\"https:\/\/elpais.com\/sociedad\/2026-03-24\/el-tribunal-de-estrasburgo-rechaza-paralizar-la-eutanasia-de-la-joven-noelia-afectada-por-una-paraplejia.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">El Pais<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>As a last-ditch effort, his legal team on Wednesday asked an investigating court looking into Noelia&#8217;s medical-legal team to introduce &#8220;urgent precautionary measures&#8221; to stop her euthanasia, but a judge rejected the request due to lack of jurisdiction.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I&#8217;ve finally done it,&#8221; Noelia said, adding: &#8220;Let&#8217;s see if I can finally rest&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>According to several sources, Noelia Castillo Ramos&#8217;s euthanasia was scheduled for 5pm Spanish time (4pm UK time).<\/p>\n<p>Read more from Sky News:<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/news.sky.com\/story\/msps-vote-against-bill-to-legalise-assisted-dying-13520843\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Scotland&#8217;s assisted dying bill rejected by MSPs<\/a><br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/news.sky.com\/story\/the-kessler-twins-german-dance-stars-in-the-50s-and-60s-die-in-joint-suicide-police-say-13472434\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">German twin sister die in &#8216;joint suicide&#8217;, police say<\/a><\/p>\n<p>     <a href=\"https:\/\/news.sky.com\/download-app\" target=\"blank\" data-tracking-label=\"ui-app-promo-download-link\" class=\"ui-app-promo sdc-article-widget\" data-type=\"\" data-component-name=\"ui-app-promo\" data-testid=\"app-promo\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><\/p>\n<p>    <\/a><\/p>\n<p>In 2021, Spain became the fourth European Union country to legalise euthanasia and assisted suicide for people with incurable or severely debilitating conditions who wish to end their lives.<\/p>\n<p>The law was enacted after years of fierce opposition from conservative parties and the Catholic Church, which has historically shaped public attitudes on end-of-life issues.<\/p>\n<p>Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email <a href=\"https:\/\/news.sky.com\/story\/mailto:jo@samaritans.org\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">jo@samaritans.org<\/a> in the UK. <\/p>\n<p>Alternatively, you can call Mind&#8217;s support line on 0300 102 1234, or NHS on 111.<\/p>\n<p>In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A paraplegic gang-rape victim has died by euthanasia after her father&#8217;s failed legal challenge. Warning: This article contains&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":497020,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[49,50,51,47,52,48],"class_list":{"0":"post-497019","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-headlines","8":"tag-headlines","9":"tag-news","10":"tag-top-news","11":"tag-top-stories","12":"tag-topnews","13":"tag-topstories"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497019","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=497019"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/497019\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/497020"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=497019"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=497019"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=497019"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}