Deaths of mum and daughter 'a tragedy that could have been prevented'

REVIEW HIGHLIGHTS 'MISSED OPPORTUNITIES AND SHORTCOMINGS' OF VARIOUS SERVICES

- By RUCSANDRA MOLDOVEANU

THE deaths of a Nottingham mum and her daughter following a string of multi-agency failings were a “preventable tragedy”, a review has found.

The bodies of Alphonsine Leuga, 47, and her disabled daughter Loraine Choulla were found inside their council home in Hartley Road, Radford, months after they had died.

Their bodies had laid undiscovered until May 21, 2024, with the deaths likely to have occurred in early and late February, respectively.

An inquest held into their deaths in July found that Alphonsine died of bronchopneumonia, while Loraine died as a result of malnutrition and dehydration.

Alphonsine was the first to die, on or around February 2. Meanwhile, Loraine, who had Down syndrome and was primarily nonverbal and entirely dependent on her mum to meet her needs, was able to fend for herself for at least 26 more days.

Coroner Amanda Bewley concluded in July that the two deaths were preventable and that Loraine would likely still be alive today, had an ambulance attended a 999 call made by Alphonsine on February 2.

This has now been reinforced by a local child safeguarding practice review commissioned and overseen by the Nottingham City Safeguarding Children Partnership (NCSCP) and undertaken by an independent author.

The report, published on Wednesday, looked into multiple actions from agencies such as the council and East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS).

In the 60-page document, author Kanchan Jadeja said: "She and her mother came to Nottingham because her mother wanted to keep her safe and, nine years after they arrived, she has sadly died.

“It is a tragedy that could have been prevented.”

The report states that Alphonsine, Loraine, and Alphonsine’s eldest daughter, Elvira Choulla, moved to the UK from Italy.

Following the move, the family dynamic was described as “complex” and resulted in Elvira leaving the family home after a disagreement with her mother.