Paralyzed Gang Rape Victim's Childhood Pal Made One Last Heartbreaking Bid to Stop The 25-Year-Old's Euthanasia Death
Noelia Castillo won her battle to end her life.
March 27 2026, Published 3:33 p.m. ET
A 25-year-old Spanish woman who was gang raped and later became paralyzed has ended her life through euthanasia, RadarOnline.com can report.
Before her life ended, her friends and family made one last-ditch effort to try to convince her to change her mind.
Phyical and Mental Battles
The 25-year-old had been confined to a wheelchair and opted for euthanasia.
Noelia Castillo fought a legal battle for years to be granted the right to end her life after suffering multiple mental and physical pains.
In an interview the day before her death, Castillo recounted three separate episodes of sexual abuse: one allegedly perpetrated by an ex-partner, another in a nightclub where she said two men raped her, and a third in a bar involving three young men.
In October 2022, days after her third attack, she jumped out of the window of a fifth-floor apartment in an attempt to kill herself. She survived the attempt but was left paralyzed from the waist down and confined to a wheelchair, only adding to her pain.
"Sleeping is very difficult for me, and besides that, I have back and leg pain," she told the Spanish Antena 3 program Y Ahora Sonsoles. "I want to go now and stop suffering, period."
Friends Try to Stop Her
Friends and family members tried to talk her out of it.
But her friends and family begged her to stay. Just an hour before her death, Castillo's childhood best friend showed up at the Barcelona hospital in one final attempt to talk her out of it.
Carla Rodriguez urged hospital security to let her see her friend, but officers ultimately blocked her from entering the room before it was too late.
"I wanted to try to convince her to change her mind," Rodriguez said through tears. "Noelia has been through so much – so very much."
Assisted suicide has been legal in Spain since 2021 for those suffering from terminal illness and for people with unbearable permanent conditions. The process involves submitting two requests in writing, followed up by consultations with medical professionals not previously involved in the case.
Court Challenges From Her Father
She also faced legal challenges from her father.
Castillo was granted her request in 2024, but she still faced a long legal battle of objectors, including her father. Abogados Cristianos argued that his daughter’s mental illness rendered her incapable of making the decision to end her life.
"He has not respected my decision and he never will,” Castillo said about her father. "I understand he’s a father, that he doesn’t want to lose a daughter."
She confessed to being confused as to why he was going through so much effort, as the two did not have a close relationship.
"He ignores me. So why does he want me alive? To keep me in a hospital?" she asked. "None of my family is in favor of euthanasia, obviously, because I’m another pillar of the family. But what about the pain that I’ve suffered all of these years?"
'I Can Finally Rest'
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She was ultimately granted her request in late March.
Since Spain adopted its euthanasia law, 1,123 people have been administered life-ending medicine through the end of 2024, according to the country’s health ministry.
Castillo said she never wavered in her decision and finally found peace at the end.
"I finally did it, and now maybe I can finally rest,” she told Antena 3. "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."
