Andorra Authorizes Cremation of Unclaimed Portuguese Woman Found Dead in Apartment

Andorra's Ministry of Justice and Interior has authorised the cremation of Alexandrina Maciel de Sousa, a 58-year-old Portuguese resident whose body was found in October in an apartment on Avinguda Doctor Mitjavila in Andorra la Vella.

The ministry, headed by Ester Molné, followed procedures in the decree of 14 April 2010 and its amendment of 20 March 2013, which apply to unidentified remains or those identified but unclaimed by family or the deceased's country of origin. The decision appeared in the official *Butlletí Oficial del Principat d'Andorra* (BOPA). Funeral services will proceed with the cremation 13 working days after publication, as no one has come forward to claim the body or cover funeral costs.

Maciel de Sousa's body was discovered after she had been dead for about a week. Her partner reportedly continued a normal routine despite the corpse lying in a main room of the shared flat. Police initially investigated whether the man had contributed to her death, including possible neglect, but ruled it out. An autopsy determined natural causes linked to health issues and a challenging lifestyle.

Roughly a week after the discovery, a funeral mass was held in her presumed hometown of Barcelos, Portugal. Despite this, no one has reclaimed her remains, which have been stored in the national funeral home's cold chambers. The case highlights occasional instances of solitary deaths among vulnerable residents, sometimes near poverty, where no relatives or contacts step in. If unchallenged, the cremation will mark a solitary end, with the urn likely forgotten.