News
The homeless death statistics are shocking – but the true total may be even higher
Past President of the AAPT Professor Sebastian Lucas article in The Guardian
Last year 726 people died on the streets of England and Wales. Pathologist Sebastian Lucas explains why the official numbers might be wrong
I got a jolt reading Simon Hattenstone and Daniel Lavelle’s Empty Doorway article on the death of Gyula Remes, who was found by Westminster tube station last December. I realised I had autopsied his body at the request of the Southwark coroner.
I was not at the inquest. Pathologists are called to give evidence in person only if there is uncertainty about the cause of death or if the relatives wish it; but here, neither condition applied. My written cause of death (alcohol toxicity) was the conclusion, but my original full version did not appear, for I had added “homelessness – to be considered at inquest”.