In a case that has sent shockwaves through the community, a mother and her teenage daughter were found dead in their home almost four months after an emergency call for an ambulance—help that never arrived. Their decomposing bodies were only discovered when police entered their home in Radford, Nottinghamshire, launching a harrowing investigation into how no one noticed their absence for three full months.
Tragedy Revealed
It began with a desperate call for help. On February 2, 2024, Alphonsine Djiako Leuga, 47, rang emergency services from her Nottinghamshire home, explaining that she urgently needed an ambulance for her 18-year-old daughter, Loraine Choulla. Leuga herself was struggling with sickle cell anemia—an illness so severe that, at the time of the call, she reported feeling so cold and weak she could barely move. Despite her plea, no emergency responders arrived. The world continued outside their door, unaware of the nightmare unfolding inside.
The silence that followed would stretch into months. Neighbors and relatives grew concerned, but it wasn’t until May 21—almost four months after that fateful 999 call—that authorities entered the home and made the grim discovery. The bodies of both mother and daughter had lain there, untouched, as the seasons changed outside. When found, forensic experts estimated they could have been dead for “weeks to months.” The coroner confirmed that Leuga had died of pneumonia of uncertain cause, while Choulla’s cause of death remains “unascertained.” The lack of clarity only deepens the mystery—and the tragedy—of what truly happened inside that house.
Unanswered Questions—And a Community in Grief
Details emerging from the ongoing inquest paint a picture of a mother and daughter both incredibly vulnerable and isolated. Leuga, the sole caregiver for Choulla, was described in court as her daughter’s “entire support.” Choulla suffered from severe learning difficulties and Down Syndrome, relying on her mother for every basic need. The pair’s dependence on each other was total, yet somehow, when the crisis came, no outside help arrived. The local ambulance service has yet to fully explain why the 999 call did not result in a response, leaving the community and wider public demanding accountability.
As the inquest continues this week, new, chilling details will likely emerge. What is already clear is that two lives slipped through the cracks of an emergency response system—lives that desperately needed intervention. The question lingers: Could this have been prevented? For now, the focus remains on honoring Alphonsine Djiako Leuga and Loraine Choulla, whose absence went unnoticed for far too long, and ensuring that such an unthinkable tragedy is never repeated.
A Nation Seeks Answers Amidst Devastation
The case has sparked national outrage, with calls for a full investigation into emergency service protocols and community welfare checks. The sheer length of time before the bodies were found—three months after that unanswered call—has left the public stunned. How could a family, so clearly in need, be left to suffer in silence for so long? How could a community not realize, not reach out, not question when two of their own vanished without a trace?
The Nottingham & Nottinghamshire Coroner’s Service is now under intense scrutiny. As investigators piece together the timeline, a broader conversation is emerging about society’s responsibility to its most vulnerable members. The tragic fate of Alphonsine Djiako Leuga and Loraine Choulla has become a symbol of systemic failure, a chilling reminder of what can happen when people fall through the cracks. The nation waits for answers—and for justice—for two lives lost, not just to illness, but to indifference.