Administration of Donald Trump seeks explanations from the Spanish government
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The administration of American President Donald Trump has requested explanations from the Spanish government and has instructed the U.S. Embassy in Madrid to open an investigation into the handling of the case of Noelia Castillo, a 25-year-old woman who died by euthanasia last week.
This information comes from a diplomatic cable leaked by the “New York Post,” in which the State Department expresses concern about how the police and justice system handled the sexual assaults suffered by the young woman and the application of Spanish euthanasia law.
According to the document, Washington demands clarification on how Spanish security forces handled reports of sexual assaults, including group rapes, which Castillo allegedly experienced before her death.
“We are deeply concerned by the allegations that Ms. Castillo was sexually assaulted multiple times while under state care and no one was held accountable,” the cable states.
This is the latest in a growing list of friction points between the White House and the Moncloa, after Trump and his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sánchez, exchanged a series of harsh accusations in recent months on topics ranging from immigration to conflicts in Gaza and Iran.
Recent social media messages claimed that during the time Noelia was under the custody of Catalonia’s social services, she was the victim of multiple sexual assaults by unaccompanied foreign minors. However, according to her medical and administrative records, there is no record of such incidents during her stay at residential centers from July 2015 to February 2019.
The Trump administration also instructs its diplomats to communicate its “serious concerns” to the Spanish government about what it describes as “numerous systemic failures in terms of human rights” which, in its view, led the young woman to seek assisted suicide.
The State Department claims to have been informed that Castillo “had expressed doubts” in the hours leading up to her death, and these doubts “were ignored,” raising questions about the application of the law, especially in cases of non-terminal suffering and psychiatric disorders. However, in the interview Castillo gave shortly before her death, she did not express any doubts.
The requested investigation aims to gather information on the identities of the alleged assailants, their immigration status, and the legal obstacles that may have prevented the filing of complaints. The cable also mentions that “accusations that the assaults were committed by migrants are being examined,” linking the case to what it presents as concerns about “massive and irregular migration.”
“Euronews” has reached out to both the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the U.S. Embassy in Madrid for their response to this information. So far, they have not reacted.
The Noelia case
Noelia Castillo’s euthanasia took place in Barcelona after a long legal battle with her father. Spanish courts, including the Supreme Court, recognized her right to euthanasia, stating that she was suffering from a severe and incurable condition accompanied by severe and chronic suffering. The European Court of Human Rights also refused to intervene.
Before her death, Castillo publicly defended her decision and explained that she sought “peace.” Her case has reignited the debate in Spain about the limits of the euthanasia law, which has been in effect since 2021, and has now taken on an international dimension following Washington’s intervention, which reportedly set a deadline of April 3 to formally convey its concerns to the Spanish government.
