'There is a cover-up going on somewhere', says flat death OAP's daughter

The authority has apologised for the quality of its communication with Amanda Alexander, whose mother’s remains were found in Canning Town.

Colin Ansell, the council’s interim chief executive, said he is “extremely concerned” by the case, and expressed "sincere apologies to the family if on this occasion the replies fell short of the standard expected".

But the council did not comment on her claim that she was being denied access to information.

Her mother, Lillian John-Baptiste, was found in Westland House, Rymill Street, in February.

She is believed to have died there in late 2019, aged 73.

Lillian John-Baptiste laid dead at Westland House, Rymill Street, Canning Town, for so long that her body became mummified, an inquest heard (Image: Google Streetview)

Her death is now the subject of an independent “safeguarding adults review”, as she was known to Newham social services.

In a statement read aloud at an inquest last month, Ms Alexander said her own attempts to understand her estranged mother’s death were being hampered by council secrecy.

She said Newham Council was "withholding" her mother’s records.

Social services

Mrs John-Baptiste, a nurse at St Mary’s Hospital in Stratford, began suffering from schizoaffective disorder in the 1970s.

Social services removed her three children as a result of the diagnosis.

“From recollection, there was never any effort by social services to reconcile us with our mother,” Ms Alexander wrote.

Mrs John-Baptiste, originally from St Lucia, worked as a model, a singer and a writer before becoming a nurse in Stratford (Image: Amanda Alexander)

Until police traced her in summer 2021 and told her that her mother was missing, Ms Alexander didn't even know where she lived.

She later learned her mother, still suffering from poor mental health, had received care from social services from 2016-18.

But when she refused further care in 2018, she was deemed to have the capacity to make that decision.

Coroner Graeme Irvine criticised social services' actions last month, saying even though Mrs John-Baptiste's capacity was “likely to fluctuate”, Newham did not try to reach her again until mid-2021.

He called the lack of care "scandalous".

By the time she was found, she was so decomposed by then that her cause of death could not be determined. Mr Irvine could not even rule out foul play.

Lillian John-Baptiste suffered from schizoaffective disorder for four decades (Image: Met Police)

“Cover-up”

In a statement read aloud by Mr Irvine, Ms Alexander wrote: “I believe that the London Borough of Newham social services acted with gross misconduct and were negligent in that they abandoned my mother, a severely mentally ill, disabled and housebound lady who was well-known to them.”

She said when the council refused to hand over her mother’s records, she repeatedly sought help from the office of Newham mayor Rokhsana Fiaz.

“I wrote to her in the hope that she would help mitigate some of the hardships that I have been encountering in trying to uncover the issues surrounding my mother’s sad and mysterious demise,” wrote Ms Alexander.

But, she said, the responses were cold and unhelpful.

“Culture definitely flows from the top and I can’t help thinking the glaring negligence of social services and those who failed to discharge duties of care towards my mother indicate an endemic and institutional culture in Newham Council,” Ms Alexander wrote.

“I truly believe that social services’ lack of disclosure confirms there is a cover-up going on somewhere.”

Newham mayor Rokhsana Fiaz praised staff in the borough's children's services (Image: Archant)

Council

Mr Ansell said he and the mayor were “extremely concerned” by the complaints read out in court.

He said Mrs Fiaz “will be reaching out to the family to convey her respects and condolences” when they feel ready to talk to her.

“This is not the manner in which the mayor expects officers to deal with sensitive cases, such as the one involving this elderly resident, and the mayor was deeply troubled and upset by what happened,” he said.

“It is clear that the way this letter to the mayor from Mrs John-Baptiste's family was handled should never have been dealt with the way it was.

“Not withstanding the independent safeguarding adults review, the mayor’s office is responsible to me and accountable to the mayor for ensuring all emails to her on any matter are not only handled with compassion and care, but speedily and sensitively.

“I have assured the mayor I will look to ensure all cases are handled in this way in the future and I wish to express my sincere apologies to the family if on this occasion the replies fell short of the standard expected.”

Jason Strelitz, the council’s corporate director of adults and health, expressed condolences last week.

"We have been cooperating fully with the coroner’s office and the independent safeguarding adults review, and are fully committed to addressing any lessons learned or insights gained," he said.