Authorities have disclosed further heartbreaking details surrounding the deaths of a mother and her teenage daughter found deceased in their residence.
Alphonsine Djiako Leuga, aged 47, and her daughter, Loraine Choulla, 18, were discovered in their home in Nottinghamshire, England, in May of the previous year.
Testimonies from Nottingham Police, the Nottinghamshire Coroner’s Service, and the East Midlands Ambulance Service were shared in court during a recent inquiry into the case.
The investigation revealed that Alphonsine had contacted emergency services via a 999 call for an ambulance that never arrived, mistakenly categorized as an ‘abandoned call’.
Prior to her death, she had been receiving treatment for a lower respiratory tract infection.
Detective Con Jack Cook from the Nottinghamshire Police suggested that it is believed Alphonsine, who suffered from sickle cell anaemia, passed away shortly after making the emergency call.
Meanwhile, Loraine, who had Down’s syndrome and learning difficulties and was ‘entirely dependent’ on her mother, was alive until 28 February.
Alphonsine’s death was attributed to ‘pneumonia of uncertain cause’. However, the cause of Loraine’s death remains ‘unascertained’.
Authorities suspect that, lamentably, Loraine passed away before celebrating her 18th birthday in April.
It has come to light that Cook had visited the family’s home in 2023 to assist social services, as reported by the BBC.
During that visit, he noted that the fridge was well-stocked with food and the home appeared to be orderly and clean.
However, the situation was drastically different when officers discovered the deceased mother and daughter in May.
This time, the home was in disarray, with partially consumed and moldy food scattered throughout. It was also discovered that Lorraine had created a ‘den’ in one of the bedrooms, positioning herself between two beds.
It was further revealed that Leuga used her daughter’s tablet to make the emergency call.
Examination of the tablet showed several missed calls, including some from the hospital where Leuga had recently been treated for a lower respiratory tract infection.
Although many calls went unanswered, investigators believe Loraine might have responded to some messages using automatic or pre-programmed text responses.
Following the inquest, the East Midlands Ambulance Service issued a statement: “I am truly sorry that we did not respond as we should have to Alphonsine Djiako Leuga and Lorraine Choulla. Our deepest condolences remain with their family,” expressed Keeley Sheldon, Director of Quality at the organization. “We fully accept the Coroner’s findings. After our internal investigation, we made changes to our policies, procedures and training to ensure this does not happen in future.”