The elderly woman had been locked into a flat in the north of the city and only occasionally visited by her 9-year-old granddaughter, who was supposed to be looking after her. The victim was found in a state of confusion and lacking any personal hygiene, unable to wash herself.

The police arrived around 17.30h on the 25th of last month after receiving a call that an elderly woman was attempting the throw herself off a balcony. The officers managed to gain entrance from a neighbouring flat via a balcony.

When they reached her she was in an agitated, confused state so the first thing they did was to calm her down and bring her back into the flat and away from the balcony. When the fire service arrived, they entered the flat from the neighbouring balcony, too, and managed to open the front door from the inside.

Questioning her they learnt that she was living with her granddaughter but who would often disappear for a few days at a time, leaving her to fend for herself with no keys to unlock the front door. There was no telephone, either. As for food, it was the neighbours who passed her food and water from their balcony. The flat was filthy and there was no food in any of the cupboards.

She said that she had been on her own for about a week during which time she had a fall and injured herself – the officers found dried blood in several rooms.

Just as the 94-year-old was to be taken to the Hospital de Traumatología the granddaughter arrived and was promptly arrested. Seeing the front door open she came in shouting and insulting her grandmother, not realising the police were there. Upon seeing the fire personnel, she had a go at them, too.

(News: City & Metropolitan Area, Granada, Andalucia)