There have never been so many bodies claimed in Lisbon as in 2021 – Exclusives
These data have been compiled, since May 2004, by the Irmandade da Misericórdia e de São Roque de Lisboa (IMSRL). “From that time, until the last day of September of this year, there were 2,426 indigent deaths”, told Correio da Manhã the brother provider of the Irmandade da Misericórdia, Mário Pinto Coelho. In the nine months of this year, the IMSRL followed 153 people from initial persons of unclaimed bodies at the Instituto Medicina Legal.“Everything points out that the number continues to rise to, it will last again 183, although there will not be a new record”, he said, it seems that when it returns to existence CM the provider brother. Pinto Coelho stated that “the ascent [registada no ano passado] must still be related to the pandemic. The number mainly includes the elderly, people who live alone, absences and death from medication, consultations”. The IMS volunteers (there are about 20 who follow these cases) “prefer to be distant from people’s history because of different problems”. “For us, he is a brother, like everyone else, who deserves a dignified farewell”, he stressed.
Of the total number of unclaimed bodies last year, 121 were adult men, 88 women and 14 children (six girls and eight boys). There are still registered cases of a stillbirth and in nine these data were not verified. “When the children have no name, we ask the priest for the so-called mass, so that a ‘nobody’ is buried”, revealed the provider brother. With bodies of foreigners whose religion is not Catholic, the treatment is also different. “We have already contacted embassies, help for a Muslim burial, for example,” he said.On the 17th, all bodies accompanied by the IMSRL will be evoked at the Solemn Mass for the Day for the Eradication of Poverty and Homelessness. The celebration takes place at the Church of São Roque, in Lisbon, at 18:30. It is presided over by D. Rui Valério, bishop of the Armed Forces.
PJ asks for help to identify 38
The PJ website has a space dedicated to the identification of people, possible to be identified were found, but were not found. The page reports 38 corpses. The most recent alert is from 2021 and the oldest from 2002.
know more
412 euros
is the cost of the basic social funeral service, paid by Santa Casa de Lisboa, since 1995. It normally takes place at the Cemitério do Alto de São João.
one month term
When the Instituto de Medicina Legal receives a body for a claim, the rule is to wait one month to release it. Extended term when they are foreigners.