The Constitutional Court closes the door on the last attempt by Christian Lawyers to stop Noelia's euthanasia

BarcelonaThe Constitutional Court has unanimously decided not to admit the latest attempt by the ultraconservative Catholic group Christian Lawyers to halt Noelia's euthanasia, which has been suspended since the summer of 2024 due to legal proceedings initiated by her father. The Constitutional Court ruled that no human rights had been violated during this process, and its decision does not close the last opportunity Noelia's father and Christian Lawyers had in the Spanish legal system to prevent the young woman's decision.

The ultraconservative Catholic group was quick to respond to the court's decision by announcing a new appeal. They will take the case to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) to try to have European justice recognize the violation of the father's rights that the Constitutional Court dismissed. Specifically, they believe his right to life and to effective judicial protection, which guarantees everyone access to the courts, have been violated. The appeal to the Constitutional Court could only assess possible violations of fundamental rights during the proceedings. The central issue throughout the proceedings was, in short, whether or not Noelia met the requirements for a dignified death, but the legal debate that this case has brought to the forefront is whether a family member can intervene to stop the euthanasia of an adult, of sound mind, who has already received medical approval. Noelia obtained medical approval from the Catalan Commission for Guarantee and Evaluation, and subsequently judicial approval from the Administrative Court No. 12 of Barcelona, ​​the High Court of Justice of Catalonia (TSJC), and finally the Supreme Court.

Now, the Supreme Court must return the case file to Barcelona, ​​after which the case will enter the execution phase. Núria Terribas, vice president of the Bioethics Committee of Catalonia and director of the Víctor Grífols Foundation, told ARA that with this latest ruling, "Noelia's euthanasia is irreversible" and that the ruling approving it "is perfectly applicable." Meanwhile, Christian Lawyers continues to litigate on behalf of the girl's father. They asked the first court that approved the euthanasia to place him in pretrial detention while the girl undergoes psychiatric treatment, despite all the court rulings in this case reiterating that she is of sound mind. The ultraconservative Catholic group has also opened a parallel case, in which they accuse the doctor and forensic expert who were supposed to assess Noelia's euthanasia request in the first instance of having faked a death. disagreement to force the intervention of the entire commission and be able to make the decision with greater certainty.