Justice ratifies, at the request of a parent, the suspension of the execution of euthanasia on a 23-year-old girl that was scheduled for August 2 after managing to demonstrate that her mental disorders do not allow her to make a free decision.
In an order dated August 9, the judge of the Barcelona Contentious-Administrative Court number 12 has decided to maintain the suspension adopted as a precautionary measure after hearing the parties involved in a hearing held on August 7.
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In her decision, the judge states that she does not consider “that there is a serious, chronic and disabling condition which, as the Law describes to us, is the situation that refers to limitations that directly affect physical autonomy and activities of daily living, in a manner that does not allow one to take care of oneself, as well as the ability to express and relate, and that are associated with constant and intolerable physical or mental suffering for those who suffer from it, with certainty or great probability that such limitations will persist over time. without the possibility of cure or appreciable improvement.”
In addition, he also refers to a video in which the young woman can be seen walking with crutches, from which he deduces that “the spinal cord injury that the reports refer to insofar as its functional situation is irreversible raises doubts.” On the other hand, she adds regarding her psychiatric situation, that she does not understand that she is “irreversible”, since she continues treatment.
The legal representation of the young woman’s father, in charge of the Spanish Foundation of Christian Lawyers, has defended that the young woman “suffers from borderline personality disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder.”
These psychiatric conditions would prevent the young woman, who has already attempted suicide in the past, from making a decision about euthanasia in a free, conscious and informed manner as established by law.
In addition, they have alleged that the young woman had changed her mind about the application of euthanasia days before the scheduled date at the beginning of August.
The judge’s decision can be appealed to the Superior Court of Justice of Catalonia within 15 days, which will be filed by the regional health administration, which during the process has been a firm supporter of the immediate application of euthanasia.
Catalonia is the Spanish autonomous community where the most euthanasias have been carried out since the law came into force.
In it year 2022registered 175 requests (30% of the national total) of which 91 were effective (43% of those made in Spain). In the year 2023received 219 requests and carried out 94 euthanasias until the end.
The majority of people who request euthanasia in Catalonia are over 73 years old, with slightly more women than men.
Nicholas de Cardenas
Born in 1980, I am a Spanish husband and father and journalist with more than 20 years of experience in print and digital media, specializing in sociopolitical and religious information. I have worked for more than 10 years in defense of human rights and have accreditations in Journalism and Comprehensive Communication. Since July 2022, I have been a correspondent for ACI Prensa and EWTN Noticias in Spain, covering international events of the Catholic Church.