Community building drama

Daughter waited for weeks next to dead father

The drama unfolded in this housing estate.(Bild: Gerhard Bartel)

A dramatic family tragedy shakes a Viennese council estate: a 51-year-old daughter waited for weeks next to the body of her deceased father until she was finally rescued by the fire department.

This human tragedy goes straight to the heart! The 51-year-old is estimated to have spent a month next to her deceased father in a Viennese council apartment before the two were discovered by emergency services last weekend, as the "Krone" has now learned.

Tip from Slovakia set the ball rolling
It is probably also due to the anonymity of the big city that the drama remained undiscovered for so long. And it took a tip-off from outside the city. Another daughter of the deceased - who lives in Slovakia - raised the alarm after she was no longer able to contact her father and her sister, who was affected. The last contact with her relatives is said to have taken place around the turn of the year.

On Saturday evening, the emergency services finally arrived at the municipal housing estate in Herzgasse in the southern district of Favoriten. After the fire department had broken down the door, the stairwell was immediately filled with a pungent stench. The partially decomposed body of the 80-year-old man was lying in the bedroom, his daughter, who was also in need of care, was watching over him.

The apartment is officially locked.(Bild: Gerhard Bartel)

Daughter barely survived
What an ordeal! At least the daughter is likely to survive. Even if only just. She was completely emaciated and dehydrated and would probably only have lasted a few more days. The 51-year-old received emergency medical treatment and was taken to a nearby hospital.

A routine forensic autopsy was carried out on the body to determine both the cause and the time of death. After the possibility of third-party involvement was ruled out, the case was filed.

There had been a strange smell in the house for some time, but I had no idea. Such a terrible story.

Ein Nachbar, der anonym bleiben möchte

A "Krone" local inspection on Thursday shows once again how things often go with neighborly help in big cities. Neither the week-long "disappearance" of father and daughter nor the massive blue light operation on Saturday were particularly noticeable in the large housing estate. Sad ...