An impaired woman who was suffering from schizophrenia was found dead four years after she passed away at her home.
38-year-old Laura Winham from Woking, England, lay dead inside her council flat for several years before she was discovered when her concerned family demanded the police break into the apartment, The Daily Mail reported.
As the woman’s family explained, Laura refused their help and ordered them to stay away from her nearly four years ago. While they tried their best to help, the family was eventually forced to respect her wishes and let the medical professionals take over.
According to the reports, however, no one – including her mental health team and the social services – appeared to have checked on the schizophrenic woman in the last three-and-a-half years.
Meanwhile, her rent continued to be paid for through housing benefits.
While Winham is believed to have died in November 2017, it wasn’t until May 2021 that she was found after her family finally convinced the police to break into her apartment.
Now, the family is demanding answers as to why neither the woman’s health team nor the social services checked on her in all those years.
“We always hoped she would get better with professional help and that one day our contact would resume,” sister Nicky said.
“We never believed, for one second, we would end up finding her dead on her floor having laid there for so long without anyone knowing.”
Nicky also explained that the family had to back off and leave the work to the professionals because her sister told them to leave her alone and feared that they would harm her.
“Laura has been so badly let down. It’s just heart-breaking to think of how she lived in her last few years, unable to ask for help, without anyone there for her, it’s just tragic. Her journey with mental health has been incredibly tough,” the grieving sister added.
“She believed all these voices in her head which were turning her against us, her own family.
“Contact with us seemed to put her under enormous strain. She refused to see us and, in the end, we very sadly had to respect her wishes and leave her to professionals.”
Following the tragic case, Surrey County Council shared their “sympathies and deepest condolences” with Laura’s family as they vowed to thoroughly review the “complex” case.
What are your thoughts on this matter? Let us know in the comments and don’t forget to SHARE this post with your family and friends. For more news and stories, follow us on Facebook!
Recommended Video For You!
Loving Grandson Visits His Grandpa in Hospital Before Prom