Sister of ex-minister found dead in flat after 3 years. No one knew until police came to evict her

Cairo: Police officers arrived at an apartment in Egypt's Giza governorate to enforce a court-ordered eviction. Instead, they discovered the skeletal remains of a woman who had apparently died three years earlier without anyone realising.

The remains were found inside a flat in the Al Haram district, where authorities had been sent to carry out an eviction order issued in favour of the property owner following a prolonged rental dispute.

The tenant had stopped paying rent for several years, prompting the landlord to pursue legal action to regain possession of the property.

When officers entered the apartment, they discovered human skeletal remains in one of the rooms, turning what had begun as a routine legal procedure into a police investigation into the identity of the deceased and the circumstances surrounding her death.

Investigations established that the remains belonged to the tenant herself, an Egyptian ophthalmologist who was also the sister of a former government minister.

Authorities subsequently examined the circumstances of the case to determine the cause of death and how long the woman's body had remained undiscovered.

Doctor died three years before discovery

Forensic findings indicated that the doctor had died approximately three years before her remains were discovered.

The examination concluded that she had died of natural causes, with no evidence of assault or criminal involvement.

The South Giza Public Prosecution received the findings of police investigations, which ruled out foul play.

Prosecutors subsequently authorised the burial of the remains after the necessary legal procedures were completed and the final forensic report was received.

Although investigators found no evidence of a crime, the circumstances surrounding the doctor's death have raised troubling questions about how someone could remain undiscovered in their home for so long.

The ophthalmologist had been living alone, and her absence went unnoticed for years.

Her death came to light not because someone had reported her missing, but because a landlord had obtained a court order to evict her from the apartment.