Elderly lady found dead in her Northcliff home
NORTHCLIFF – Barking dog but zero activity indicated that something must have been wrong.
Body of a woman in her late 60s was discovered by police and local authorities.
Fairland police, along with the Community Policing Forum (CPF), attended to a grim scene when they discovered the remains of the woman who was suspected to have been dead for several days. According to the CPF’s Bhaai Cassim, authorities were alerted of the woman by Lets Work founder Felicity Gratz-Lawlor, who received information that the deceased had not been seen for several days and that her dogs were barking from inside the house.
Cassim said, “A house visit was arranged by the CPF, but when there was no reply police were called in to investigate. It was then when the woman’s body was discovered.”
Fairland police did confirm that the woman was found dead and an inquest docket has been opened to investigate the cause of death.
The CPF and community were saddened by the incident and shocked that the woman was only discovered after a neighbour noticed that the deceased had not been seen for days. CPF Victim Support (VS) Unit’s Dr Martin Kassen stated that the Covid-19 pandemic has made people isolate more than ever but there are times when the community needs to reach out to one another and assist with any challenges being faced.
He added, “Some examples of circumstances and signs that may warrant greater vigilance in our networks of care can include extreme weather conditions, drastic changes in a person’s physical appearance, or abrupt changes to their routines. At best, one needs to balance active community engagement with due regard for individual privacy. We need to work on reducing the individual’s isolation and help them to accept support without being overly intrusive.”
Victim Support team leader of the CPF Dr Sally Röthemeyer said it is in such times that people need to be reminded to look out and look after one another. She expressed that ‘it takes a village’ and the ideal is a community looking after each other’s needs. Dr Röthemeyer encourages the community to continue creating a network of communication methods where neighbours can check on each other or report if there is anything untoward happening whereby we can help.
She added that these groups should include law enforcement agencies and emergency services providers with strict protocols on what to do in the case of an emergency and incident. The police have been in contact with the family of the deceased and have echoed the condolences shared with them by the CPF and community.
