An Italian woman, who lived alone, had no relatives, and had not been seen by her neighbors since September 2019 was found sitting at her table — more than two years after she died, police said.
Her neighbors reportedly assumed she had moved away at the start of the coronavirus pandemic, which hit northern Italy in early 2020.
Marinella Beretta, 70, who came from the nearby municipality of Erba, and had no living relatives, had sold her house, but she continued to live there under a usufruct agreement.
Following complaints, a tree had fallen in the garden as a result of overgrown vegetation. The new owner, an unnamed Swiss man, alerted the authorities after neighbors told him that the trees in the garden were in a poor state. The police went to the property to investigate and discovered the elderly woman’s remains inside.
Elderly Italian woman found sitting at her table — 2 years after she died https://t.co/Lr2DMKuRnW pic.twitter.com/VAMTDIWopt
— New York Post (@nypost) February 9, 2022
Her body was found last Friday by the Como fire brigade, Como City Hall press officer Francesca Manfredi confirmed to CNN.
Her cause of death is unknown but based on the level of decay, she is believed to have died in late 2019.
They are currently investigating the incident to determine the cause of death, but they have reportedly said that the preliminary hypothesis is that she died alone. However, Police found nothing at the scene to suggest foul play.
It is not clear how her body came to be mummified, but natural mummification, although rare, can happen in situations of extreme cold, aridity, or a lack of oxygen.
Como mayor Mario Landriscina said her death must be a “moment of reflection”.
He invited local residents to attend her funeral, for which a date has not yet been set, adding: “It is a tragedy that occurred in a context complicated by the pandemic, from a closed and isolated city.
“Who knows how much this woman suffered. Now is the time to give witness and I invite the city to be present.”
Elena Bonetti, 47, the Italian Minister for Family and Equal Opportunities, said: “What happened to Mrs. Marinella Beretta in Como, the forgotten loneliness, hurts consciences.
“We have a duty, as a community that wants to remain united, to remember her life … no one must be left alone,” she wrote on Facebook.
Nearly 40% of over-75-year-olds in Italy live alone, according to a 2018 report by the national statistics institute.
Sources: Dennismichaellynch, Insideedition, Express
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