The mummified corpse of a woman was discovered in her flat after having lain for 15 years without anybody realising it.

She was only discovered when a relative contacted the Policía Nacional to say that they had had no news of her in a while. When the police gained access to the flat in the Ciudad Lineal area of Madrid, it was to find the long-dead, 78-year-old woman in her bathroom.

It’s not clear from the report, however, whether she was that age when she died or would have been that age upon discovery.

The forensic department put the time of death between 14 and 16 years ago. However, neighbours, who had been asking the police for some time to enter the flat, say that they hadn’t seen her since September 2004, making it 15 years almost exactly.

The police hadn’t responded to such a request because under these circumstance it had to come from a relative of the property owner – had there been a report of a violent incident, then they could have gone straight in.

Finally, however, the police entered the 2nd-floor apartment on 51 Calle de José del Hierro with the said relative present thanks to the assistance of the local fire department, using a vehicle extending ladder.

Given the conditions in the flat the body did not decompose but mummified itself.

Finally, the alarm wasn’t raised before because all her bills were still being paid via her bank account so most neighbours presumed that she had gone to live with relatives or had gone into a home.

(News: Metropolitan Area, Madrid)