A judge has agreed to suspend the euthanasia of a young woman in Barcelona, ​​ending the request of the father, who is represented by Christian lawyers in Spain.

El Diario reported that the woman suffers from a serious mental illness and was diagnosed with a disability in October 2022 due to a spinal cord injury resulting from a self-harm incident.

Nevertheless, according to El Diario, the lawyers pointed out deficiencies in the woman’s request for euthanasia. On July 29, she had written a letter in which she expressed doubts about whether she wanted help in dying.

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A court order preventing her euthanasia, originally scheduled for August 2, was issued by the Municipal Administrative Court No. 12 on Friday, August 9.

Polonia Castellanos, president of the Fundación de Abogados Cristianos (the Spanish Foundation of Christian Lawyers), celebrated the court decision.

“The euthanasia law does not help anyone, on the contrary,” Castellanos said. “Christian lawyers will defend in court the families who need help so that this law does not kill their loved ones.”

However, the ruling is only the first legal block. The case has been referred to the Supreme Court for a future hearing. The date will be announced in due course.

“Now this court has referred the case to the Supreme Court. So now we have to wait for a decision in this case,” María Riesco, communications director of La Fundación de Abogados Cristianos, confirmed to Christian Daily International.

The judge who suspended euthanasia explained the reasons for his decision.

“I do not consider that there is a serious, chronic and disabling condition, which, as described in the law, refers to limitations that directly affect physical autonomy and the activities of daily life,” the judge said, according to La Fundación de Abogados Cristianos.

The judge also reportedly referred to the person’s “ability to express his or her opinion and his or her relationship” and weighed the associations of “permanent and unbearable physical or psychological suffering on the part of the person concerned and the certainty or high probability that such limitations will persist for a long period of time without any cure or appreciable improvement being possible.”

The judge reportedly referred to a video shown in the courtroom in which the young woman in question was seen walking with crutches.

“The spinal cord injury is described in the expert reports as irreversible, her functional state gives rise to doubts,” the judge added, also saying with regard to “her psychological pathology” that it was not understandable “that it could be irreversible, as suggested in the expert reports on the treatment carried out.”

In March 2021, euthanasia was legalized in Spain. The law allows adults with serious and incurable illnesses that cause unbearable suffering to die. Before the law was passed, euthanasia was punishable by up to 10 years in prison.

“Today we are a more humane, fairer and freer country,” Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez posted on X after the euthanasia law was passed.

“The euthanasia law that society has been demanding is finally becoming a reality. We thank all the people who have fought tirelessly to ensure that the right to a dignified death is recognized in Spain.”

Evangelicals in various countries oppose euthanasia, emphasizing that life is a gift from God. They also point out many ethical problems associated with euthanasia, including the risk that patients will be pressured to consent against their will, and call for better end-of-life care instead.

This article was originally published by Christian Daily International.