Angela Geradts appears to have died as a result of road traffic accident
Four British sisters are in anguish in UK following news that their sibling Angela, 74, was killed in a road traffic accident in the Algarve in June.
They only learnt of the tragedy via a friend, whose number was accessed by police dealing with the incident.
The police didn’t contact anyone else; neither did the British Consulate seek out family members.
In fact, had the friend not eventually got through to sister Lindsay in West Yorkshire, the sisters may have been unaware of their sibling’s demise to this day.
It gets much worse: Lindsay has been through all the motions of trying to find out what actually happened to her older sister – and no one will tell her. “They appear to be constrained by Portuguese law”, she tells us.
The British Consulate – which she contacted to try and confirm Angela’s death – simply gave her ‘standard information’: a link on what to do “when someone dies in Portugal” and informed her, that yes, “Angela’s body remains at the Institute for Legal Medicine morgue in Portimão. She sadly passed away on June 12/ 06. An autopsy has been performed, and the body is now available for release to a funeral director”.
This information was emailed to Lindsay on July 2 after she contacted the British Consulate – meaning that Angela’s body had lain in the morgue in Portimão for the best part of two weeks without anyone in a position of authority trying to contact the dead woman’s relatives.
Lindsay has since learnt that her sister was ‘pronounced dead at the scene of the accident’ (albeit she is completely unsure of where the accident happened. It may have been Lagoa (or the municipality of Lagoa), it may have been Lagos, or within the municipality of Lagos. No one can confirm the location. Put another way, no one has.
Lindsay has tried contacting GNR police, who referred her to the Public Prosecutor’s Office which sent a perfunctory note asking her for her ‘details’ as Angela’s close relative.
The friend who initially contacted Lindsay has said that he has no idea whether anyone else was involved in the accident . It has been confirmed that a post mortem has been carried out, and the accident is the subject of an official inquiry – the results of which may not be available for up to nine months “in accordance with Portuguese jurisdiction”.
Lindsay and her sisters have been given a ‘process number’, and they have been able to organise a direct cremation which is due to take place on Thursday (July 17th). But they are still none the wiser of what happened, and what is happening to their sister’s personal effects.
Angela lived in a house close to Lagos Zoo, in Barão de São João, which was on the point of being sold.
Lindsay has subsequently tracked down the estate agent who was dealing with the sale . The “helpful estate agent” has passed her details to the lawyer also dealing with the sale, but this far there has been minimal response.
“Nobody is returning calls. This makes me wonder if there is more to this than I realise…“ Lindsay admits. “We’re in the dark and neither the authorities nor the professionals seem able or willing to help”.
Thus, the appeal for information: Angela Geradts was an artist, keen gardener, who loved living a simple life in the countryside. She was the widow of a Dutchman with whom she ran a business called AquaPura. She ‘never got the hang of email’, and used to keep in touch with her sisters by letters, which were not that regular.
Says Lindsay: “I’ve visited Portugal more than a dozen times over the years – for holidays and to see my sister. I love the country and have always found the people to be charming and friendly. However this latest experience has been tortuous and difficult.
“It is hard to comprehend how a modern European country can continue to operate in a climate of secrecy and wilful obstruction, and with a perceived lack of compassion for grieving families. We can’t be the only ones who have had to endure this cruel wall of silence during a time of grief.
“Anyone in authority with a sense of decency should recognise the need for a recently bereaved family to be provided with incontrovertible facts surrounding the death of a loved one.
“A protracted official silence for no apparent reason only causes unnecessary anxiety.
“What we need to know at the very least is the circumstances in which Angela was found; where and when, was there any third party involvement and if so was anyone arrested? It is inhumane and there can be no justification to withhold such basic details for what we’re told could be up to a year”.
Anyone who can help with this mystery should get in touch with the Resident through our reporter (natasha.donn@portugalresident.com) and we will forward your information to Angela Geradts’ family.
Angela (centre) with her sisters in happier days
