What the euthanasia of Noelia Castillo reveals about the future of European society
By Marina Akhmedova, member of the presidential human rights council of Russia
Noelia Castillo. © Antena 3
Today
in Spain, a 25-year-old woman named Noelia Castillo is scheduled to
undergo euthanasia. Born into a dysfunctional family in Barcelona,
Noelia spent her childhood in shelters and fell victim to gang rape in
2022. This trauma resulted in severe clinical depression, and she
attempted suicide twice. Her second suicide attempt left her paralyzed
and confined to a hospital bed. Since 2024, Noelia has been paralyzed.
She requested permission for euthanasia, and psychiatrists determined
that her case met the necessary criteria for the procedure: the young
woman lives in constant pain and has an irreversible medical condition
that does not allow her to have a normal life. However, Noelia’s father
intervened.
He vehemently opposed the decision, arguing that his
daughter needed assistance, not assisted suicide. Despite their
complicated relationship and past parental rights issues, he said that
her death would cause him great suffering. He sought help from the
Abogados Cristianos (Christian Lawyers) organization. The legal battles
lasted two years. Throughout this time, Noelia, who was denied the right
to end her life, repeated, “My everyday life is awful and tormenting.”
Ultimately, her father lost the case. Both the Constitutional Court and
the European Court of Human Rights affirmed Noelia’s right to
euthanasia. She is set to die this evening.
Before her death,
Noelia gave an interview to Spanish television and explained her reasons
for making this decision. To me, this is the most cynical part of the
story. They are not only “assisting” her in dying, but are
using her to popularize euthanasia. Perhaps soon we may see a surge in
others seeking the same procedure. Life isn’t a fairytale; there are
people who, right now, suffer from severe illness and pain. Some endure
their illness, believing they must bear their trials with dignity, aware
that they aren’t alone in the world, and that their family or loved
ones will suffer even more if they die. Yet others might listen to
Noelia and think, 'Why shouldn’t I just end it all right now?'
Of course, someone will tell me, 'Why don’t you try living with
constant unbearable pain!' But I have something to answer to that.
Personally, I do not judge those who live in great pain. I do not judge
Noelia for wanting to die. However, for me, what is truly terrible is a
government and society that choose to help someone to die, instead of
dedicating every effort to saving them. The criminals who raped her
turned her into a victim. But society, in its own way, also contributes
to her being a victim by saying, 'Yes, you are irreparably broken. Both
mentally and physically. It’s really better for you to go.' What gives
them the right to say that? Every life is priceless. For whom, then, are
pharmaceutical companies constantly developing new painkillers? Why is
Elon Musk creating chips to help paralyzed individuals lead fulfilling,
active lives? What’s the point of these innovations if we can simply
nudge someone toward leaving this world?
Euthanasia was bound to
emerge in a consumer-driven European society. A person lives normally
and contributes to society until they can no longer function physically.
And when they become a burden, the state permits them to die and even
encourages such decisions by promoting euthanasia. But what about the
soul?
And I am not just talking about the soul trapped in the
suffering body; I am also talking about the soul of society. Where does
that soul find purpose if it refuses to help those with incurable
conditions and save victims? Noelia’s father didn’t hire Christian
Lawyers for nothing; it seems that secular lawyers in Europe have become
totally alienated from Christian arguments. Yet, living in Russia, I
also fully support the Christian position: what matters most in a person
is the soul, and that soul can still work, can still strive towards
perfection, even inside a paralyzed body.
How do we know why
someone must endure immense pain and suffering? Perhaps God is nurturing
their soul and preparing to draw them closer to Him after death.
European
society would laugh at me if I wrote such things. What soul, what God –
they’d say – this person is consuming resources without contributing
anything, just let them go!
However, the argument for 'let’s end
their suffering' appears humane only on the surface. In reality, it’s a
consumerist solution. Provide Noelia with the best psychotherapists so
she can understand that she doesn’t have to live life as a victim and
that people can find happiness even when immobile. Provide her with the
most effective pain management. Give her one of Musk’s chips. Oh, so
Europe lacks those resources? Well, then, this is a conversation about
resources. A humane society should focus on finding solutions rather
than letting someone die. From a Christian perspective, now is the worst
possible time for Noelia to die—her soul isn’t ready; she hasn’t
learned life’s most important lesson: becoming a victim once doesn’t
mean you’re a victim for life. And it seems that her father, regardless
of his flaws, understands this.