France, Jan. 27 -- At least 32 elderly people in France were found dead in their homes in 2025 weeks, months or even years after they had died - a stark illustration of what one charity describes as the most extreme form of social isolation.

The figures were published on Tuesday by the charity Petits Freres des Pauvres, which compiled the cases from reports in regional media.

The deaths were recorded in towns and cities across France- including Evreux, Nice, Le Mans, and Montpellier- and are described by the organisation as "the ultimate consequences of extreme loneliness".

Some of the cases underline just how invisible many elderly people have become. In Bordeaux, the skeleton of a woman in her seventies was discovered in her garden i...