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A tragic story out of Spain has left social media users sharply divided.

A 25-year-old Barcelona resident named Noelia Castillo has been granted legal permission to die by euthanasia.

The decision comes after a yearslong court battle in which her father attempted to prevent her from doing so.

Noelia told the court that she had been coping with crippling depression for years, ever since she was rape by three men at a state-supervised center for vulnerable youth.

The attack was so traumatic that Noelia attempted to end her life by leaping from a fifth-story window.

She survived the fall, but it left her confined to a wheelchair.

Euthanasia has been legal in Spain since 2021, and Noelia tells the outlet Leading Britain’s Conversation that she sees no other way of alleviating her pain.

“I want to go now and stop suffering, period. None of my family is in favor of euthanasia. But what about all the pain I’ve suffered during all these years?” she said, adding:

“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.

“I’ve told them how I want it to be. I want to die looking beautiful. I’ve always thought I want to die looking good. I’ll wear my prettiest dress and put on makeup; it will be something simple.”

As for her father’s opposition, Noelia says he “hasn’t respected my decision and he never will.”

“Why does he want me alive? To keep me in a hospital?”

Noelia’s mother, Yolanda Ramos, told Marca that she disagrees with her daughter’s decision, but will support her until the end.

“I do not agree, but I will always be by her side.”

Obviously, this is a very complex issue. Euthanasia was legalized for the purpose of enabling people to put a dignified end to unendurable suffering.

But it’s an option that’s usually pursued by terminal cancer patients, not people who are experiencing profound emotional pain.

Many have been critical of Noelita’s decision for obvious reasons. But at the same time, many of those critics likely could not fathom the pain that this young woman has endured.

We will have further updates on this developing story as new information becomes available.