Dead woman discovered after two-and-half years of death, her absence goes unnoticed

A medical secretary who was "forgotten" and died on her sofa two and a half years before her body was found is the subject of an inquest that will begin today. In February, skeletal remains belonging to Sheila Seleoane were found in her one-bedroom apartment in Peckham, South London. The 61-year-old spinster, whose long-lost relatives reside in South Africa, is thought to have passed away more than 2.5 years before she was found. In October 2019, neighbours first reported a "horrific stench" emanating from Miss Seleoane's apartment to housing association Peabody.

One tenant claimed to have gotten in touch with the housing association at least 50 times throughout the protests, which lasted for more than two years. Finally, in February of this year, police broke through the door. When the officers entered the apartment, they found Miss Seleoane's skeletal remains on the sofa in the living room. It is reported that Miss Seleoane passed away in the late summer or early autumn of 2019. The overwhelming odour that permeated the hallways alarmed the residents, who frequently expressed their worries to Peabody.

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Yet when authorities finally entered the apartment in February of this year, they found her remains propped up on the sofa and seemingly surrounded by deflated party balloons. Police claim they don't think her death was suspicious in any way. Someone may have accessed her apartment, possibly a burglar or rough sleeper, according to a person who lives in the building. According to the insider, a different resident reports that in the months before the body's discovery, they heard someone mounting the scaffolding.

(with inputs from agencies)