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© CATERS NEWS AGENCYA blurred image of the mummified corpse a grieving Belgian woman slept next to for nearly a year. Identified by authorities only as Marcel H, the 79-year-old man is believed to have died of an asthma attack last year. The widow, 69, was not named.
Belgian woman, 69, kept husband's body at home in their bed. 'Marcel H.' died of asthma attack last year, authorities say. Widow not named.

A grieving woman who couldn't bear to live without her husband slept next to his corpse for almost a year, Belgian authorities said Tuesday.

Marcel H, 79 is thought to have died of an Asthma attack in November last year but his beloved wife, 69, was so devastated by his death she failed to report it.

The wife, who has not been named, continued to sleep next to her dead husband in their bed until his grisly remains were discovered Tuesday.

Neighbours failed to spot the smell of the decomposing body and the authorities in Belgium only became suspicious after the landlord claimed the couple had not paid their rent since 2012.

When they entered the apartment in Brussels they found the mummified remains of Marcel H.

Philippe Boxho, pathologist at the Forensic Center of Liege said: "A body can mummify in a dry, warm environment.

"It takes at least a week to reach such a state. In this case the body had rotten in the bed his internal organs had melted and liquefied.

"This liquid would have spread and the bed would have been swarming with insects as the body rotted, this would have been a real shame.

"Even though the smell of human decay is quite specific , many people equate that smell to the smell of garbage and once the body has become rotten the smell does decrease significantly."

"This is not the first time I have made a discovery of this kind, I've been faced with two or three other occasions where people have continued to sleep with the corpse of their partner."