Body found decomposing in apparent suicide
Two women have been found dead separately, one of whom was a senior citizen whose body was found decomposing.
A statement from the Judiciary Police (PJ) classified the cases as “dead body found,” as they were found to have committed suicide.
A 61-year-old woman was found dead in her rooftop flat in a building on Rua da Barca on Friday.
The discovery came after a resident of the building reported a foul smell.
When firefighters broke open the locked metal gate of the flat, they found the senior citizen to have been dead for a long time as the body had begun to decompose.
No suicide note was found.
In a separate case, on Sunday, the public hospital reported to the police that a 45-year-old female resident was certified dead after overdosing on an undisclosed medication.
According to the PJ, the woman had been ill for several years.
She was discovered by her son as he was visiting her and her husband’s apartment yesterday.
No suspicious injuries were found, though a suicide note was found on her mobile phone.
Local associations have previously expressed concerns that the ongoing pandemic has been taxing on the mental health of local residents, especially for senior citizens who live alone and have no one to talk to.
According to these associations, the pandemic has heightened the sense of loneliness and depression among solitary seniors, many of whom have been forced to stay at home alone for long periods of time due to social distancing measures.
Back in August, two suicide cases were reported in less than 24 hours involving senior citizens, as concerns grow about an alarming rise in suicide cases among the elderly.
These two cases add to the July suicide toll among senior citizens with at least three old-
aged residents aged 74, 75 and 87 years being found after apparent suicides.
The Social Welfare Bureau (IAS) encourages residents to be conscious of their psychological and emotional state as well as those of their relatives and friends. If in need, residents can call Caritas’ Life Hope hotline (28525222) or IAS’ counseling hotline (28261126).
