A young woman must testify in a Spanish court today in an attempt to persuade a judge to let her die voluntarily against her father's wishes, in the first ever case.
The 23-year-old woman who wants to end her life is paraplegic due to injuries suffered when she tried to take her life in 2022.
It has the support of the regional government of Catalonia after the Local Council for euthanasia and evaluation unanimously supported its decision in July 2024.
Euthanasia is the act of deliberately ending a person's life to alleviate suffering. This can be involuntary – for example, if a person is in a coma and cannot consent – or voluntarily, as in this case.
The woman had to die in August, but the process was suspended at the last moment due to legal objections raised by her father, with the support of the campaign group of Christian lawyers (Abogados Cristianos).
“I feel misunderstood by my family. I feel alone and empty. This situation causes me a lot of suffering,” the woman said, according to documents related to the case, quoted by the Spanish media.
The legal representation of the Catalan government in the case said that “no evidence of a scientific or expert characteristics has been presented to contradict the many medical reports that support the decision (to die).”
However, the woman's father claims that she suffers from a personality disorder that affects her judgment and he pointed out “the obligation of the state to protect people's lives, especially the most vulnerable, as is a young person with mental health problems.”
He also said she reacted well to the treatment of rehabilitation.
His legitimate representation also claims that the young woman has changed her mind to undergo euthanasia several times.
The prosecutor did not position himself in the case, instead calls on the judge to hear the opinion of experts and the woman herself before deciding.
Among those who have to testify in the Barcelona court today are a member of the Euthanasia Council, who evaluates her work, a specialist in neuro-rehabilitation and a psychiatric specialist.
A The Euthanasia Act was introduced in Spain in 2021.But this is the first time the case went to court to decide a judge.
Last year, a magistrate in Barcelona rejected a man's attempt to appeal the euthanasia of his 54-year-old son after being approved by the Guarantee and Assessment Council.