Man is believed to have been dead for years in a home in Southeast Amsterdam

The body was discovered this week in a house at Nieuwlandhof. Police had previously received reports, but were unable to enter the home because nothing suspicious was seen. Local residents tell  city ​​broadcaster AT5  that they have also warned housing association Stadgenoot several times.

A neighbor spoke to the deceased man regularly in the past, she tells AT5. “We were the only ones in the whole house who had contact with him. Because he didn’t speak Dutch, so we spoke English with him. He always came with letters that he received from all kinds of authorities, which we translated into English for him.”

“I think that loneliness is the worst,” says the neighbor. “How can anyone be so lonely here, if only someone came around to ask how he was.” Another resident wonders how the deceased man could have stayed out of sight of the housing corporation and the tax authorities. “I find it so strange that this could have happened.”

According to Stadgenoot, several unsuccessful attempts at home visits were made after reports. This week the eviction of the house was scheduled, after which the deceased man was found. ‘If it were the case that this person died in loneliness, then we find this very sad,’ said Stadgenoot in a response.

A spokesperson for the Amsterdam police could not say anything about the cause of death. There is no thought of a crime.