Noelia Castillo's appearance on television a few hours before receiving euthanasia has generated an intense reaction on social networks, where messages of support, opposition and also statements that have been questioned by the health and administrative documentation of the case have been spread.
The young woman, paraplegic after a suicide attempt in 2022, gave an interview to the programme 'Y ahora Sonsoles', on Antena 3, in which she recounted her personal trajectory and the reasons that led her to request the aid in dying benefit. As a result of this intervention, different accounts and users spread interpretations about her clinical and personal situation.
Messages about an alleged assault in a centre
One of the most widespread messages on social networks claims that, during the time Noelia was under the care of the social services of the Generalitat, she was the victim of multiple sexual assaults by unaccompanied foreign minors. This version has been replicated by different profiles and public figures.
However, according to the health and administrative file of the case, there are no records of such an episode in the residential centres where the young woman stayed between July 2015 and February 2019. Sources from the General Directorate for the Prevention and Protection of Children and Adolescents of the Generalitat confirmed that there is no record of any incident of sexual assault during this period.
In the television interview, Noelia recounted three different episodes of aggression or attempted abuse. The first, by an intimate partner with whom she had been in a relationship for four years; the second, in a discotheque, where she claimed that two men tried to abuse her; and the third, also in a nightclub, when she claimed to have been assaulted by three people. According to her account, this last episode occurred a few days before the suicide attempt that left her paraplegic, on 4 October 2022, when she was 21 years old.
Euthanasia and the depression debate
Another of the claims spread on social networks claims that this is the first euthanasia granted in Spain to a person "due to depression". However, clinical documentation indicates that the request was approved because of the physical sequelae of paraplegia and associated suffering.
Psychiatric reports indicate that the young woman has chronic depressive symptoms and adjustment disorder with anxiety and depression, but rule out a major depressive disorder that limits her decision-making capacity. There are also diagnoses of obsessive compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder.
The Catalan Guarantee and Evaluation Commission authorised the benefit on 18 July 2024, considering that Noelia presented an irreversible clinical situation with severe dependency, pain and chronic suffering that affected her autonomy. Subsequent court rulings upheld the legality of the procedure and the young woman's capacity to make the decision.
The application had been stalled for a year and eight months following a lawsuit filed by her father, who questioned her capacity to decide. The specialists who assessed the case concluded that the girl understood the scope of the decision and was able to act autonomously.
The extent of the physical consequences
Following the broadcast of the interview, there were also messages questioning the seriousness of her physical condition, noting that she was able to perform some activities with assistance.
According to the medical file, the complete spinal cord injury at L3 caused paraplegia, neuropathic pain, sensory impairment, faecal incontinence and the need for urinary catheterisation every six hours, as well as significant functional dependency. He also has limited mobility with a wheelchair and poor walking ability in adapted interiors.
The medical reports describe these consequences as permanent and irreversible. After the accident, Noelia was first admitted to the Joan XXIII Hospital in Tarragona and then to the Guttmann Clinic, where she underwent intensive neurorehabilitation until June 2023. Ten months later, she applied for the aid in dying benefit.
In her court statement, the young woman explained that the physical pain and the impact on her daily life were constant. According to the documentation, her suffering was considered persistent and incompatible with meaningful functional recovery, which led to the approval of euthanasia under current legislation.
This text was translated with the help of artificial intelligence. Report a problem : [feedback-articles-en@euronews.com].
