A tear-jerking video of paraplegic gang rape victim Noelia Castillo being encouraged to walk by her father has emerged after her shocking death by euthanasia.
The 25-year-old — who was left paralyzed from the waist down after she tried taking her own life in 2022 — was cheered on by her dad Geronimo Castillo as she took slow steps using forearm crutches, according to cell phone footage obtained by Spanish outlet Okdiario.
“Action!” Geronimo shouted in Spanish as Noelia pushed herself up from a chair. She flashed a shy smile before gazing at the ground to focus on her movements.
“Careful — what a machine,” the elated father, who was recording, continued while Noelia made her hesitant strides. “We’re strolling through Badalona, she’s so cool. She’ll be running in no time!”
Geronimo soon wrapped up the video — seemingly trying not to put too much pressure on his recovering daughter.
“One minute of recording, no more,” he said. “Very good, very good. Don’t rush, take it easy.”
Noelia looked up at the camera once again to blow a kiss and say goodbye, as her dad playfully instructed.
Geronimo was fiercely opposed to Noelia dying by assisted suicide. She underwent the fatal procedure on Thursday at a Barcelona hospital.
She decided to pursue euthanasia in April 2024, explaining that the physical and emotional pain she was grappling with became too much to bear, according to Spanish Antena 3 program “Y Ahora Sonsoles.”
“I don’t feel like doing anything: not going out, not eating. Sleeping is very difficult for me, and I have back and leg pain,” she told the outlet during her final interview.
Noelia, who was diagnosed with OCD and borderline personality disorder, said that she endured great suffering throughout her short life.
She recounted three separate occasions where she was sexually assaulted.
The first was by a then-boyfriend, who she dated for four years, and the second incident happened at a night club when two men reportedly tried to abuse her, she told Antena 3.
She tried to kill herself after the third attack, when she was raped by several men at an entertainment venue.
None of the alleged assailants have been publicly identified.
Her devastated father looked on in horror as she plunged to the ground when she jumped out of a five-story building’s window, she said.
Geronimo fought for years to stop the state from approving Noelia’s assisted suicide.
He was supported by a group called Christian Lawyers and argued that Noelia’s mental illness impaired her ability to make sure a serious decision.
He also accused the Spanish state of “abandoning” his daughter by offering death instead of further psychiatric treatment.
But even after Geronimo made several appeals to various courts, Noelia’s wish was upheld.
“None of my family is in favor of euthanasia. But what about all the pain I’ve suffered during all these years?” Noelia said during her last interview.
“The happiness of a father, a mother, or a sister cannot be more important than the life of a daughter.”
