The body of London woman Sheila Seleoane lay undiscovered for some 2½ years before the police finally broke down the front door and found her body.
She lived in a 20-flat block in Peckham. Several of the neighbours hadn't seen her for a while and had noticed an increasingly revolting smell. But when they contacted the housing association that owned the flats, and contacted the police, nothing was done, even though she hadn't paid any rent since August 2019.
You think it couldn't happen to your own neighbours, but it can. Some years ago the man living next door to us lay dead for several days before someone checked on him and discovered his dead body. He was very much a loner so it wasn't that surprising. Jenny and I had only met him a few times and he was never very friendly so we never got to know him.
It seems to be a very English thing that you don't have much to do with the neighbours. And of course if they go everywhere by car, you never bump into them on the street so there's little chance of befriending them.
It's not the case in Northern Ireland where people are much more likely to know their neighbours and would actively investigate if someone hadn't been seen for a few days. It's hard to imagine a person here being dead for several years without anyone knowing. We know most of our immediate neighbours and would certainly ask questions if they hadn't been seen for a while.
But what an awful way to go - gradually decomposing while your neighbours go about their daily routines.
PS: An inquest into her death will be held on Thursday
Pic: Sheila Seleoane's front door
I barely speak to my neighbours. I drive everywhere so there is not much opportunity to speak to them.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm not inclined to keep careful watch on them. My daughter on the other hand, has noticed that the people across the road are coughing a lot and nobody has left the house in days. Sometimes a nosey neighbour might be the best type?
Kylie: Maybe they have covid and are self-isolating? Perhaps someone should check up on them?
Deleteyes, we have assumed they have covid. It's an extended family so I think they can probably look after each other.
DeleteMy point though, was that if it was up to me to notice anything unusual, I wouldn't but my daughter knows every coming and going
Kylie: Yes, your daughter is obviously the nosy one!
DeleteIt’s sad that a person living alone wouldn’t have a friend or family member notice. I feel as though the police here would take action right away if contacted.
ReplyDeleteBijoux: Apparently she had a brother but he was an alcoholic and they were estranged. She had a half-sister in South Africa, but it seems she wasn't in regular contact either.
DeleteWith children away from homes older people living alone do face this problem over here too. We are getting many such reports in out press about elders passing away without anyone knowing about it and the police being called to break down the door to find source of bad smell coming from homes.
ReplyDeleteRamana: It's surprising it took so long to discover her body. Didn't her workmates wonder why she wasn't at work (she was a medical receptionist)?
DeleteI guess my own take on this is that many alienate everyone around them so there is no one in a "caring" role to notice they are not in communication. Any who know them would believe it's their typical hermit like behaviour.
ReplyDeleteBut I do agree it's heartbreaking without a solution.
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www: I think there's something in what you say. Some people do alienate those around them to the extent of driving them away.
DeleteThat can't happen in our apartment complex. We have to push a button by 11 am everyday or security comes to check on us. Since I'm rarely awake at that hour my Dave takes responsibility for that. One day he left to buy groceries without pushing the button so I woke to security knocking on my bedroom door. They do call before coming but Dave was driving home at the time and he doesn't answer his phone while driving. Having someone check on you is a good thing but it can also be startling. :)
ReplyDeleteLinda Sand
Linda: When my mum was in sheltered accommodation, the staff would call her every morning to check she was okay. It's good that you have a similar arrangement.
DeleteI also had a next door neighbor who was dead in her home for over a week. It was strange because when I thought back to it, I remember seeing her, sitting on the sofa - all I saw was the back of her head. Every day when I would walk, I'd see her - and her little dogs jumping all over her barking. Toward the last few days before they found her, I did notice her tilting to one side...I still didn't think anything of it. She was a mean old lady that was a recluse - had barking little dogs and screamed at all the little kids doing normal things.
ReplyDeleteDebby: That's weird, that you thought she was okay because every day you saw her sitting on the sofa. A mean old lady who was a recluse - it's a familiar story.
DeleteMary's comment hasn't appeared on my blog yet again. She said: "Wow, that's a long time. I've lived at this apartment complex for almost 25 years. In that time Ken worked as maintenance here and did welfare checks in apartments to make sure people were alright. He and the other maintenance guy found 4 different residents dead in their apartments.
DeleteMary: They found four residents dead in their apartments - clearly it's something that happens a lot. And presumably they didn't have any way of calling for help while they were still able to do so.
DeleteI wonder what will become of me. Everyone lives far away and call sporadically. Interesting question.
ReplyDeleteJoanne: But I think there are quite a few people living close to you?
DeleteI remember reading about a woman who was found after about four years. She had everything paid for by automatic drafts from her bank. When her cash ran out, the house was ultimately sold for taxes. Long story short, there was a big surprise when they entered the home. The woman was very independent and traveled a lot. So the neighbors did not notice not seeing her in that she was frequently away.
ReplyDeletePeople don't get to know their neighbors here. I suspect it happens a lot.
Ann: Yes, if someone travels a lot, you could easily just assume they're on another of their trips.
DeletePolly's comment didn't appear on my post. She said: "Wherever I've lived I have known my immediate neighbours and the ones further along, and would like to think that I would notice their absence, particularly because I'm nosy!!"
ReplyDeletePolly: I'm quite nosy too. I always peer into people's windows as I go past! If they haven't been around for a few days, I always notice.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nick. Very odd. Today I had a notification from feed proxy?? of a post from Oct 2021 !!! What's going on.
DeleteI read this story the other day - so sad. Made me very angry at the authorities who ignored the reports of the bad smell. I hope I would have been maverick enough to break the door down.
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Ms Scarlet: Yes. someone should have done that, their excuse being that the authorities weren't interested.
DeleteSadly, this story is not unique as I am sure it happens more times than reported in the media. I know several elderly folks and by that I mean older than myself who I call weekly and a couple of others that I visit here in the mill apts. Sure, it takes some time from myself, but I feel better for having checked on them. Sadly, there are a couple of people who don't live nearby and who I would chat with from time to time. Repeated calls to their cell phones have gone un-returned, so I have no idea if they are hospitalized or incapacitated. I know relativ es are hard pressed when something happens, but it would be nice to receive a return call. Today, I sent letters addressed to the person (or family) and maybe will hear back.
ReplyDeleteIn the example you gave, I read the story and it was sad how despite neighbors complaints of flies, maggots, odors, no follow-up was done.
I used to phone my mum every week to make sure she was okay and have a little chat. Then she stopped answering the phone and I had no contact except through my brother in law, who lived nearby (she didn't have a cellphone or email).
DeleteI recall reading about that women and thought it strange she wasn't discovered sooner.
ReplyDeleteOne U.S. blogger wrote of an estranged older family member in a distant state years ago. She was finally discovered by someone there, frozen to death in her home that had ceased to have heat during a wicked winter.
Some people living alone don't have anyone who regularly checks on them and could be several days before neighbors might question. My children who live far away can easily check my daily computer activity, emailing/messaging etc., so would know something was wrong with me if there was none.
Joared: That's a good point about computer activity revealing whether someone is alive and active. And how tragic that someone can freeze to death without anyone knowing.
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