Police in London, UK, have found the body of a woman who had been lying dead in her home for almost three years, despite neighbors complaining more than 50 times about the smell of “rotting flesh,” flies and maggots.
Body of woman found dead in her home for almost three years
The events occurred in the Peckham neighborhood, located in the London borough of Southwark. The skeletal remains of Sheila Seleoane, 61, were found last Friday, February 18, on the sofa in the living room of the apartment where she lived.
A coroner’s file will be prepared on the death of Sheila Seleoane
Officers also discovered bright pink birthday balloons near her body after breaking down the door of the apartment, located on the third floor of the residential building.
Neighbors first complained to the Peabody housing association in October 2019, and protests continued for more than two years before police finally forced entry.
Seleoane reportedly owed thousands of euros in rent, local media point out. It is also believed that the apartment may have been the subject of a break-in last fall, but no action has yet been taken.
A file will be prepared for the coroner. Neighbors have commented that they have felt totally abandoned in the face of this serious situation.
“It was terrifying the way they came in. My son was frozen. They took out some of his things, his purse and coat, and left him outside the door. There were even party balloons from years ago,” said a neighbor.
Residents of the block claim they had not seen the woman since September 2019 and thought she had moved out after the start of the pandemic.
