A 78-year-old woman has been found dead in her flat in the La Soledat neighbourhood of Palma, several weeks after she is believed to have died.
How she was found
A neighbour who had not seen or heard from the woman for some time noticed a strong smell coming from the flat and called the emergency services on Monday morning.
National Police officers were unable to open the door and called Palma’s fire brigade, who forced their way in and found the woman’s body.
The investigation
The duty court was informed and a forensic doctor attended. The doctor confirmed the death and estimated that the woman had been dead for several weeks.
The National Police’s homicide unit has taken charge of the investigation, as is usual in such cases. Investigators believe she died of natural causes, but they will wait for the results of the post-mortem at the Institute of Legal Medicine before closing the case.
Dying alone
Cases of older people found dead at home long after their death are a recurring reminder of the isolation many elderly people experience. In the Balearics, as in the rest of Spain, a growing number of people over 65 live alone, and social services and charities have warned about the risks of unwanted loneliness.
How to help
- Keep in touch with older neighbours and relatives, especially those who live alone.
- If you notice someone has not been seen for a while, or there are signs that something is wrong — post piling up, blinds that never move, an unusual smell — call 112.
- Older people living alone can ask their local social services about telecare services, which provide an alarm button connected to a 24-hour centre.
