Woman's remains found after 3 years not being missed

[ianess]

Click here to read about a human tragedy that should make us all wonder about the sort of society we're living in.
How appalled are others that this can still happen in the 21st Century?

[jedimistress]

Why no family?

It could be because she, like many abused women, had become slowly alienated from them over time. Isolation from friends and family is not an uncommon part of an abusive relationship. Mainly, to erode the women's support, else the jealousy of anyone else taking up their time or thoughts. Isolation is used by many of the men who drive their partners to seek refuge.

Her abusive partner could have turned her against them, made it hard for her to see them. Just my thoughts on the family / domestic violence issue.

I hope someone will notice me gone.

[willspal]

Drisgirl.

I So agree with you, some people can and do turn nasty at anyones attempts of offering help so then people leave alone and thats how this sort of thing can and does happen.

Also lets be honest, we can't be knocking on doors of our neighbours 24/7 can we just checking how they are. I live on a cul de sac and kind of know all my neighbours but they are mostly young with young families. Not many older folk around here but if there was I would keep a sutle eye on them but then you can't keep tabs on every ****** down your street if they are elderley or it would become a full time unpaid job.

I would hope I would notice something a miss after 3 years though.

[Drisgirl]

jedi and wills - your responses were a perfect example of whats happens.Too many people blame neighbours social services etc but in some cases the examples we have given collectively is the case.

I have some biddies I keep an eye on but I wouldnt insult them by being unsubtle.I just put their bins out and watch for them coming or going from their messages.Bedroom window open,curtains open - just little things.Its easy because they are creatures of habit.They now let me know when they're going away and coming back - bless - they obviously know what I'm up to:)

[GMH]

The local newspaper did a similar feature about elderly and vulnerable passing away alone in their homes a couple of years ago. There was a case of an elderly man who had lived in the same house since he was born. He had never married and the people who lived with him when he was younger (relatives and the like) had either died or moved away. Neighbours started to get concerned that they had not seen him for some time and eventually police broke into the house. They found the gentleman on the kitchen floor. He had passed away at the age of 72 from natural causes.

A similar case was that of an elderly woman. She had died in similar circumstances. The discovery of her was found in June and despite the time of the year the heating in her house was still switched on and a TV listings magazine was showing the date of two months before on a table.

One man had only been discovered over a year after he died. The date of a newspaper was the only clue to when he passed on. His cat had eventually died of starvation and there were flies and all that from the smell that was coming from the house after all that time.

I think that this proves the fact that as communities and families, we are always seem to be thinking about ourselves these days rather than thinking about elderly and vulnerbale people who may need our support. In the 1970s, 1980s and before that we would be more willing to be close to our family and friends to rely on. Nowadays I think that technology, selfishness and modernised principles make us forget that people who are vulnerable, disabled, elderly and the like eixst in the world that we live in.

[jason1980]

its awful that she was left so long,

but next time my electric bill comes in, I might not pay it for 3 years. Or Tv license or heating.

I dont know the circumstances of her family, but she could have cut all ties with them for years before she died.

How the neighbours went 3 years without noticing anything is just stupid.

Nobdoy going in or out, ever in 3 years....

[libertie]

Sad story indeed! I suppose for most of us who have busy lives and caring families and are lucky enough to live in nice areas that the thought of something like this happening is just so alien that we cannot even begin to understand the awfulness of it! Maybe some of us should be a little more thankful and a little less smug!!