Paralyzed gang rape victim Noelia Castillo Ramos, 25, died by euthanasia today after a heartbreaking farewell to her mother.
Supporters gathered today outside the Spanish hospital where Ramos’ life ended, in a last-ditch attempt to change his mind.
Her father also pleaded desperately for the courts to stop her death, but Ramos said she wanted to “go in peace” after years of suffering.
He died today after receiving a lethal injection in his room at the St. Pere de Ribes assisted living facility.
Her mother, Yolanda, said: “I’m not in favor of euthanasia, of course I’m not in favor of it, but as long as she allows me, I will always be with her until the last moment.”
In a heartbreaking final interview, she revealed: “I was praying and thinking… hoping that at the last moment she would say ‘I regret it’.”
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25-year-old paralyzed gang rape victim to die by euthanasia today after suffering from depression
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The distraught mother made a final appeal to her daughter to change her mind, reading aloud an offer of financial help to get her daughter the new treatment.
One email read: “Perhaps with significant help, she can slowly begin to rebuild her life.”
Yolanda said: “These are my last words.
“There’s nothing else I can do. If you decide to move on, I’ll be there for you, but if you change your mind, I’ll be there for the good times, too.”
Ramos received permission from the European Court of Human Rights to perform euthanasia – despite his father waging a lengthy legal battle to stop the procedure.
Ramos, of Barcelona, ​​Spain, attempted to take her own life after suffering two separate sexual assaults.
Her family said the 25-year-old was “dependent on the Spanish mental health care system” before she was raped.
She was living in a state-supervised center for vulnerable youth in 2022 when she was horrifically gang raped by three men.
This traumatic incident left him traumatized and led him to attempt suicide – which resulted in major injury to his spinal cord.
Ramos survived, but was paralyzed from the waist down and was in constant pain.
How to get help
Every 90 minutes a person dies by suicide in Britain.
It does not discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It is the biggest killer of people under 35, more deadly than cancer and car accidents.
And men are three times more likely to take their own lives than women.
Yet it is rarely talked about, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly wrath unless we all stop and pay attention.
If you or someone you know needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organizations provide support:
Her condition was deemed “severe, chronic and disabling” under Spain’s landmark 2021 euthanasia laws.
He is understood to have had a difficult childhood and spent part of his life in institutional care.
Ramos’ father, supported by the conservative advocacy group Abogados Cristianos (Christian Advocates), argued that his daughter’s mental health was affecting her ability to make independent and informed decisions.
But the court ultimately decided that Ramos had “full capacity to decide” whether he should end his life by assisted death.
In a final, emotional interview, Ramos said: “No one in my family is in favor of euthanasia.
“But I think, with all the pain I’ve endured over the years… I just want to go in peace now and stop suffering.
“And the happiness of a father, or mother, or sister, does not come before the happiness of the daughter or the sorrow of the daughter’s life.”
Ramos died today following a 15-minute procedure involving a combination of three drugs.
Although Spanish law allows her to be taken with her, the 25-year-old girl reportedly decided in the end not to have her parents present.
In June 2021, Spain became the fourth European Union country to legalize euthanasia and assisted suicide for people with incurable or seriously debilitating conditions who wish to end their lives.
Spanish law states that applicants over the age of 18 who suffer from “chronic or incurable suffering” can choose to receive assistance in dying.
Government figures show that 426 people received assisted dying in 2024.
Assisted death is currently illegal in the UK under the Suicide Act 1961.
But a private bill proposing to legalize euthanasia for terminally ill adults was introduced by Labor MP Kim Leadbeater in October 2024.
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill passed the House of Commons last June with a majority of 23.
A long list of Lords’ amendments – over 1,000 – have been tabled Bill In danger.
it fail If it is not passed by the end of the parliamentary session in May.
What is euthanasia and why is it controversial?
Euthanasia, sometimes known as mercy killing, is the practice of intentionally ending someone’s life in order to relieve their pain and suffering.
The term comes from an ancient Greek phrase meaning “good death”.
Euthanasia means deliberately helping or encouraging someone to take their own life, for example by providing them with medication to do so.
Euthanasia is a crime under English law, carrying a maximum penalty of life in prison and 14 years for suicide.
The only exception is “passive euthanasia”, where treatment that could extend someone’s life is withdrawn – as if the life machine is turned off.
For terminally ill patients in the UK, the only option is to refuse hospice care or treatment, which mentally competent patients have the right to do.
As a result, some terminally ill people decide to travel abroad to die.
Euthanasia and death is a controversial issue – there are passionate campaigners on each side of the argument.
Those who agree with euthanasia often argue that people should be allowed to die with dignity – and that they should be able to decide when and how they will die, and potentially spare their loved ones the pain of watching them suffer.
Some people also believe that death is personal, and it is not the place of the state to intervene if a person wishes to die.
Euthanasia advocates also point out that we euthanize our pets as an act of compassion – and that resources can be used for those who wish to live, or whose condition can be cured.
However, there are concerns that allowing euthanasia would give doctors too much power, and could also impair care for terminally ill people and research into their diseases.
Some people also believe that it goes against the job description of doctors and nurses and the oath they take not to harm patients – they also say that it undermines the value of human life.
Others are also worried about the possibility of someone potentially recovering or changing their mind when it is too late.
Some people have also suggested that this may lead people to feel pressured to die, as they do not want to be a burden on those around them.
