A tragic case that unfolded in Nottingham has revealed that a disabled teenage girl could have been saved if emergency services had responded to her mother’s distress call months earlier. The bodies of Alphonsine Djiako Leuga, 47, and her 18-year-old daughter Loraine Choulla were found in their Radford home on 21 May 2024, but evidence suggests Alphonsine had died back in February.
At an inquest concluded on Friday at Nottingham Coroner's Court, Assistant Coroner Amanda Bewley ruled that there were “missed opportunities” by emergency services and support agencies to intervene in time.
Alphonsine had made a 999 call on 2 February, reporting that she was cold, unable to move, and clearly in distress. Despite the apparent urgency of the call, no ambulance was dispatched, and no welfare check was conducted. Weeks later, both she and her daughter were found dead in their home, having lain undiscovered for a significant period.
The inquest heard that Loraine, who had Down's syndrome, was entirely dependent on her mother for care and survival. Following Alphonsine’s death, Loraine reportedly died from malnutrition and dehydration, alone and unable to fend for herself.
The coroner said authorities had failed to act on multiple red flags, stating, “There were missed opportunities to escalate concerns. Had emergency services responded to the 999 call or agencies followed up appropriately, Loraine's death might have been prevented.”
The heartbreaking case has raised serious questions about the adequacy of support provided to vulnerable families, particularly those caring for disabled dependents. There is now growing pressure on both health and social care services to review their protocols for responding to emergency calls involving high-risk individuals.
Local community leaders and disability advocacy groups have expressed outrage and sorrow, calling for urgent reforms to prevent such a tragedy from recurring.
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