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Date Published: 05/03/2025

Father battles to prevent daughter's euthanasia in landmark Spanish court case

A 23-year-old woman fighting for her right to die has been challenged by her father in an unprecedented legal battle

A young Spanish woman is at the centre of a historic court case as she seeks permission to end her life, despite her father's legal efforts to stop her. Noelia, a 23-year-old paraplegic, sustained severe injuries in a suicide attempt in 2022 and has since requested voluntary euthanasia.

Spain legalised euthanasia in 2021, allowing adults with "serious and incurable" conditions that cause "unbearable suffering" to choose to die. However, this is the first time a judge has been asked to decide whether someone can proceed with euthanasia against a family member's opposition.

In July 2024, a regional euthanasia guarantee and evaluation board in Catalonia unanimously approved Noelia's request, and she was originally set to die in August. However, the process was halted at the last minute when her father, with support from the Christian Lawyers organisation (Abogados Cristianos), filed legal objections.

Noelia addressed the court in Barcelona on Tuesday, stating, "I want to finish with dignity once and for all." She also described feeling pressured by religious groups, claiming they had placed religious images and crosses in her care facility.

The Catalan government, which is legally representing Noelia, argues that multiple medical reports support her case and that no scientific evidence has been presented to contradict them. Meanwhile, her father insists she is not in a position to make such a decision, arguing that she suffers from a personality disorder that affects her judgement. He has also stated that she has responded well to rehabilitation and has changed her mind about euthanasia several times.

Spain's euthanasia law was a major shift in policy when it was introduced. Before its approval, assisting someone to die could result in a prison sentence of up to 10 years.

The judge has yet to rule on Noelia's case. Alongside her testimony, the court is also hearing from medical experts, including a member of the euthanasia evaluation board, a neuro-rehabilitation specialist, and a psychiatric expert.

Image: Sora Shimazaki/Pexels

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