Durban - The remains of a woman who lay dead in her apartment for over two years were identified by dental records.
An inquest is under way to determine the cause of death of Sheila Seleoane, whose remains were discovered in her Peckham residence, London, in February.
Seleoane was last seen alive in August 2019 when she went to visit a doctor. According to media reports, Seleoane's cause of death cannot be ascertained due to the advanced state of decomposition of her body.
The BBC reported that Seleoane suffered from Crohn’s disease and bowel inflammation.
Reports said Seleoane had not paid rent since August 2019 and her gas supply was cut off by the Peabody Trust, the rental body in charge of the apartment block Seleoane lived in.
There were at least two police visits to the home of Seleaone, a medical secretary, in October 2020, however officers reported they were unable to make contact with her.
A Metropolitan Police controller allegedly stated that Seleoane had been visited and was well – this information was passed on to the Peabody Trust.
Seleoane’s remains were found on a sofa in the flat. It is estimated she had been dead for close to three years.
In October 2019, neighbours repeatedly complained of a foul smell emanating from her apartment. They also complained of their homes becoming infested with maggots and flies.
The trust’s CEO, Ian McDermott, conceded that it should have been obvious something was wrong.
“Even with the challenges of lockdowns, we should have done better. I don’t think it was because we didn’t care. But something, or a number of things, have gone wrong. No one should have been left like this, it is heart-breaking,” he said.
“We know that’s not good enough and we need to learn from this. Until we’ve completed the investigation we don’t have the answers.
“For us the investigation must focus on what we did, what we were told, and to really listen to the neighbours about what they told us and the authorities.
“We believe it’s really important that we learn from this across our organisation and have a clear set of actions. As the new CEO of Peabody, I will personally ensure that we put every single one of these actions in place,” McDermott added.
Following a service attended by a representative of the Peabody Trust and Seleoane’s estranged brother, her remains were repatriated to East London and she was buried at a family plot.
IOL