Mom of woman, 25, who died by euthanasia after she was paralyzed following gang rape shares new update on late daughter's attackers

The mother of a 25-year-old Spanish woman who died by euthanasia after becoming paralyzed has launched a new effort to identify the men she says were responsible for her daughter's gang rape.

Noelia Castillo Ramos died at a Barcelona hospital on March 26 under Spain's euthanasia laws. According to the Daily Mail, she handed her mother, Yolanda Ramos, her personal diary on the day she died. After reading it, Ramos said she found details that she believes could help identify the people involved in the assault.

Castillo had survived three separate sexual assaults by the age of 21, including a gang rape at a nightclub. She later became a paraplegic after a failed suicide attempt in 2022 that resulted in a severe spinal cord injury. Her mother is now using information allegedly written in the diary as part of a campaign to find those responsible.

Her daughter's diary could provide new leads

According to the report, the diary describes Castillo meeting a waiter in the town of Salou in Tarragona before allegedly being drugged, given alcohol, and raped by three men.

"Noelia spoke about the rapes on television, and on the very day she died, she gave me her diary. When I read it, I understood many things," Yolanda Ramos said in a video accompanying the press release announcing the filed complaints.

Ramos hopes the journal will help investigators move past years of online speculation and provide evidence that could lead to those responsible being identified.

Noelia Castillo Ramos. Credit: Antena 3

Her euthanasia case drew global attention

Castillo's death came after an 18 month legal battle led by her father, who tried to stop the euthanasia procedure. Supported by Christian advocacy groups, the family argued that her ability to make the decision was affected by severe psychological distress, including borderline personality disorder and trauma linked to the assaults.

Spanish courts and the European Court of Human Rights ultimately ruled that Castillo had the mental capacity to choose euthanasia. In a final interview with Spanish broadcaster Antena 3 before her death, she defended her decision.

"I simply want to go in peace and stop suffering," she said.

"The happiness of a father, a mother, or a sister cannot take precedence over the happiness of a daughter."

The case also attracted international attention after leaked diplomatic cables reportedly showed the US State Department had ordered an investigation into how Spanish authorities handled the case, including whether safeguards for non-terminal psychiatric patients and victims of severe trauma were sufficient.

The story also became the focus of false claims online. While Castillo had publicly said she survived two sexual assaults and an attempted rape, Spanish authorities stated that she never identified the identities or nationalities of her attackers. Ramos now hopes the information left behind in her daughter's diary will help investigators focus on evidence rather than internet rumors.

Featured image credit: Antena 3