Grieving Belgian woman sleeps next to the grisly remains of her dead husband for almost a year

  • WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
  • It's thought that an asthma attack killed the man, from Brussels, last year
  • The neighbours weren't suspicious, but unpaid rent alerted the authorities
PUBLISHED: 16:56 GMT, 19 November 2013 | UPDATED: 20:00 GMT, 19 November 2013

A grieving woman was so devastated by her husband’s death that she couldn’t bear to report it – and slept next to his corpse for almost a year.
The mummified remains of Marcel H, 79, lay undiscovered in a Brussels apartment.
It’s thought that he died of an asthma attack in November last year, but his beloved 69-year-old wife, who hasn’t been named, continued to sleep next to the grisly remains, despite the smell of decomposition.
Neighbours didn’t detect any unusual odours and the authorities in Belgium only became suspicious after the landlord claimed the couple had not paid their rent since 2012.
Grieving: A woman slept next to the body of her husband, Marcel H (pictured), 79, for almost a year
Grieving: A woman slept next to the body of her husband, Marcel H (pictured), 79, for almost a year
The husband, it's thought, died from an asthma attack last November
Remains: The husband, it's thought, died from an asthma attack last November
When they entered the apartment they found the mummified remains of Marcel H.
 

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Philippe Boxho, pathologist at the Forensic Center of Liege said: ‘A body can mummify in a dry, warm environment.
‘It takes at least a week to reach such a state. In this case the body had rotten in the bed and his internal organs had melted and liquefied.
Grim: A pathologist said that for a while the body would have been swarming with insects
Grim: A pathologist said that for a while the body would have been swarming with insects
Undetected: The body was only discovered when authorities were alerted to unpaid rent
Undetected: The body was only discovered when authorities were alerted to unpaid rent
‘This liquid would have spread and the bed would have been swarming with insects as the body rotted, this would have been a real shame.
‘Even though the smell of human decay is quite specific, many people equate that smell to the smell of garbage and once the body has become rotten the smell does decrease significantly.
‘This is not the first time I have made a discovery of this kind, I've been faced with two or three other occasions where people have continued to sleep with the corpse of their partner.’

 

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It is pointless putting a graphic content warning on if the picture seen on the main menu is graphic! Please be sensible with these images.
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That poor man, he deserved a dignified goodbye, not this.
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So DM can't show nipples or boobs but they're fine with showing pictures of a rotting corpse... Makes sense... Not.
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Have I missed it or does it not mention other family members? So sad that no one had time to check on them or her after his death.
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Oh. My. God.
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Why does the corpse have a top on but no trousers?
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Ugh. Throwing up forever.
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I don't understand the DMs thinking sometimes! It balks at showing female nipples (unless they are those of Some third world lady) yet it plonks something like this horror alongside my toast! Yes I know there was a warning... But it puts 'graphic content' warnings on some pretty tame pictures and I foolishly ignored this one, the kitchen bin seemed to enjoy my toast.
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Oh my, poor woman. Her grief must have been so terrible to rather live with that awful site & smell than admit his death. Those photos really are stomach churning & the thought of the smell urgh
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Well, that's a jolly start to my day.
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