Mother died of hypothermia after council turned heat off

They shouldn't be allowed to turn peoples heat off during Winter.

Jumpy wrote: »

I think it needs to be made clear that you do not feel yourself getting hypothermia. By the time you would normally realise something is wrong, your brain would be incapable of processing it properly. It takes another person to recognise hypothermia symptoms.
Also in later stages you would not be protecting yourself due to the fact that you would actually feel overheated.

People do not commit suicide by inducing hypothermia.

It does not take artic conditions for someone to die of this. It is entirely possible she went to sleep and simply didnt wake up.

Point taken, but would she not have said at one point, "Fuck, this is fierce cold, I'll get a coffee or go to my friend's house."

So sorry to read of the tragic death of this young mother from hypothermia in her home. Her family must be devastated.

I'm sure when she decided to stay in her flat herself that night she didn't think she would lose her life. Fear of her home being broken into and wrecked might have made her stay there despite the freezing conditions especially as most of the flats seem to be unlived in. Its a shocking indictment of how people are treated by uncaring officialdom and so sad that these two little boys will have to grow up without their mother.

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

RIP.

Prison sentences for manslaughter should be handed down to those responsible.

That or a dose of realism for the overreactors.

Jesus this thread is sad.

Chances are that, when the poor woman went to sleep that night, she fully expected to wake up in the morning.

Who knows why she didn't stay at her mother's house, or at a hostel, or wherever else. Perhaps it was out of pride? Stubbornness? At least she made the decision to do the best thing for her children.

But the fact is, if you're going to make a conscious decision to commit suicide (as some are suggesting), you wouldn't count on it "happening" through hypothermia. And there is no suggestion in the Coroner's report that the woman was depressed or suicidal, or that any other factors contributed to her death.

The article does not mention that the women had failed to pay her bills, or anything of the like. It's very easy for us to assume that she was some poor broke alcoholic druggie, who'd spent her last few euro on drink and drugs and cigarettes, rather than to pay the heating. But the cold hard facts known to the public do not suggest that this is the case. The reason that it's an easy assumption to make, however, is because of the "well at least it could never happen to me" mentality.

I know that it could happen to me. I'll readily admit that. I'm lucky enough to be in steady employment, as is my boyfriend. I may have children soon. Say if my circumstances were to change. Say if my boyfriend were to die, or to leave me, and I ended up bringing up children on my own. I could lose my job - anyone could. I have never been dependent on welfare in my life, but it could end up happening that I'd have no choice. There's nothing to indicate that this woman wasn't paying her rent or bills. If the council knowingly allow this to happen to paying tenants, well it could absolutely happen to anyone. It makes me wonder how many other families are living through similar circumstances at the moment.

I don't know the full facts of the case. But I think it's very wrong of anyone to judge the woman in question and to basically suggest that she "deserved" it when they don't know any more facts that I do. And from what I can see, it could very well happen to anyone you know. F*ckin mess of a country.

The fact that people are dying of hypothermia is a very scary reflection of how times are and really this shouldn't happen!

So sad for her family and her young children.

mickydoomsux wrote: »

This all seems very fishy.

This woman was either a willing victim of our culture of helplessness or she was trying to kill herself.

No one stays in their house during an unprecendented cold-snap after being told beforehand that the heating will be off. Her ditching the kids is odd as well.

Aye.

To me this story reads that she was in an apt in a building the council want to vacate, and she wont move else where, i guarentee she was given plenty of notice, but because the apts are centrally heated as bambi said, they have to probably heat 10 of them to heat hers as well.

She probably was afraid the council would move in if she moved for the cold snap.

Either way, kids without a mother is sad, but there is more to this story than the headline suggests

snyper wrote: »

Aye.

To me this story reads that she was in an apt in a building the council want to vacate, and she wont move else where, i guarentee she was given plenty of notice, but because the apts are centrally heated as bambi said, they have to probably heat 10 of them to heat hers as well.

She probably was afraid the council would move in if she moved for the cold snap.

Either way, kids without a mother is sad, but there is more to this story than the headline suggests

I think that could be the reason she went back alright, she also said she couldn't sleep so that must be why she left the kids with her mum and turned off her phone. I'd say there is more to the story than what has been reported so far.

I think people have a vague understanding of hypothermia given some of the comments in here.