The Patriot Post® · 'Right to Die' in Spain Diminishes All of Us

Noelia Castillo Ramos, a 25-year-old woman from Barcelona, Spain, was confined to a wheelchair and under severe psychological distress when she was euthanized last week by state “caretakers.” We come upon Castillo at the end of her sad story, but it was the culmination of bad leftist policies that led to her life being ended prematurely.

Castillo was considered vulnerable in her youth. Her life was turned upside down at the age of 13, when her parents separated. She was placed in state care, where she lived until 2019, and she was diagnosed with several mental disorders (obsessive-compulsive disorder and borderline personality disorder). She is the survivor of several rapes and sexual assaults, according to her own testimony, though she apparently reported none of them (a common occurrence, sadly).

Arguably, the most horrific of the assaults was reportedly a gang rape committed by three African migrants. This incident occurred a few days before her first suicide attempt in 2022, when Castillo jumped from a five-story window — which her father witnessed. Castillo survived but was severely injured. She was paralyzed and dealt with considerable pain and discomfort that deprived her of the ability to sleep.

Since her first suicide attempt didn’t succeed, starting in 2024, Castillo went on a campaign to get the state to end her life for her. Her father, Geronimo Castillo, fought against this decision legally for 20 months. It went through five levels of the courts, every one of which ruled in favor of Castillo’s right to commit self-murder.

The father argued that his daughter was not in the right state of mind and therefore could not make such a decision for herself. He said that the state failed Castillo by offering to kill her instead of investing time and money into getting her psychological help.

It’s also worth mentioning that Castillo was an organ donor.

There are so many red flags in this tragedy. The brokenness of her family defined Castillo’s life. The mental disorders she had require a lot of intervention and brain training. Both disorders are ways the brain asserts control over situations that feel out of control. Borderline personality disorder, in particular, if left untreated, can lead the sufferer to act in self-destructive and reckless ways.

Does it sound like Castillo was mentally fit to decide to kill herself via euthanasia? No. I would argue that any individual contemplating suicide is not mentally fit, period. Yet the policies in Spain are such that, despite all the obvious evidence of mental instability, Castillo was a candidate for euthanasia because of the “crime” of being a tough case for the state to handle.

Castillo was also the victim of multiple sexual assaults. As The Spectator’s Brendan O'Neill poignantly put it, “A young woman in pain and despair was offered not love or justice but death. The government’s solution to her suffering was not to wrap its arms of care around her but to give her lethal drugs so that she would die.” Castillo was clearly the victim, but she got a death sentence from the state. Her rapists were welcomed into the country with open arms.

This story is a clear illustration of the failure of statism. The state expected Castillo to find her own way in the world. Even now, the facility where she lived stoutly denies that she suffered sexual assault while under its care. Furthermore, while Spain isn’t communist, it is extremely left-wing. According to The Daily Wire, the country’s socialist and communist parties put the laws in place that allow for euthanasia.

Euthanasia embodies the philosophy that you should be able to do whatever you want with your own life, even if that means ending it. Castillo was in pain and wanted to die. Therefore, the state offered lethal injection as a reasonable alternative to a life of affliction. For the state, she was a burden on society and more useful dead than alive. Because at least she was an organ donor.

Castillo’s mental distress was on full display in the infamous interview she gave to justify her decision. As The New York Times put it, “Ms. Castillo was resolute about being in control of her own death, adding that she wanted to ‘die looking beautiful.’” Her mental struggle in life and in death was all about control.

Her terrible situation and terrible choice were cheered on by the Left. For example, the Times characterized Castillo’s legal permission to kill herself as a “win.” Meanwhile, those who knew and loved Castillo — her family and friends — begged her to change her mind.

Euthanasia is not merciful. It is an abomination. It puts the veneer of legality on something truly horrific. Like abortion, euthanasia preys on the most vulnerable. It paints life as meaningless, guided and ended by an individual at whim. In Castillo’s case, it seems her “mercy killing” was more about the value that leftist culture placed on her life. She had nothing left to give except her organs; therefore, manipulating her into self-murder was justified.

Castillo’s execution has divided the country of Spain, and the people there are having to reckon with the reality of leftist policies taken to their logical conclusion. Castillo was the very definition of one of society’s most vulnerable members. She was mentally, psychologically, spiritually, and physically broken, and instead of help, she received death.

In other words, she was helpless, which is the way leftists prefer their victims.