An 86-year-old woman dies – but her son doesn't tell anyone, and she does so for more than six years. He keeps his mother's body and collects her pension.
Verona – The police officers who entered the apartment of an Italian could hardly believe their eyes: the body of his mother lay on a bed. The macabre thing is that it probably lay there for six years. But he didn't tell anyone that she was dead, but made up a story of lies. His motivation for this was financial. He wanted to collect her pension, as well as take advantage of health insurance. But now the fraud was exposed.
Verona: Body of the deceased mother lies on her bed - and probably for six years
Helga Maria Hengbarth, who was born in Cologne, is said to have died six years ago at the age of 86, according to several reports in local media. Her son, however, told neighbors in Verona, Italy, that she had returned to Germany — while her body remained on her property. The son is now under investigation after police discovered her mummified remains. The complaint is on suspicion of serious fraud and disturbance of the peace of the dead.
The scam was only discovered when police and firefighters broke into the apartment in Verona, in the northern Italian region of Veneto, on May 25. Residents had complained about the presence of homeless people in a dilapidated building on a property owned by the deceased. The woman was unreachable and when the police checked her records, it turned out that she had not made any claims on her health insurance card for years, even during the Corona pandemic. In the apartment, officers found Helga's badly decomposed, mummified corpse lying in a zippered body bag on her bed. (It's not the only death that remains unexplained. The "Isarmord" continues to move people.)
Italy: Son lives with dead mother and pockets a total of 180,000 euros
Her 60-year-old son, who was not at home at the time, later turned himself in to the police. Prosecutors Bruno Bruni and Alberto Sergi ordered an autopsy to find out how the woman died. The gendarmerie is also investigating how the son apparently managed to claim his mother's pension payments during the six years she was dead.
Local media reported that he had collected 30,000 euros annually for six years, for a total of 180,000 euros. The investigation is ongoing. Another crime in Italy involved a radio presenter from Austria. Meanwhile, she wanted to settle a dispute between a couple while on vacation in Italy and became a victim herself. (cgsc)
