'Best friend' brothers, 9 and 7, found 'strangled to death' and mother 'hanged herself', inquest finds
24 March 2023, 13:44 | Updated: 24 March 2023, 14:10
Two brothers described as "best friends" were strangled to death at home, while their mother was found hanged, an inquest into the trio's deaths has heard.
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Property boss Nadja De Jager, 47, and her two sons nine-year-old Alexander and seven-year-old Maximus were found dead in their house on Mayfield road in Belvedere, south-east London on March 9.
An inquest convened to work out how they died found that Alexander and Maximus' provisional cause of death was ligature compression to the neck.
Ms De Jager's provisional cause of death was given as suspension, a medical term which includes hanging, the inquest heard on Friday. The trio were identified by the boy's father, whose name was not given.
Officers are not looking for anyone else in connection with the three deaths.
Detective Inspector Oliver Stride, of the Metropolitan Police's specialist crime command, said at the inquest that both boys were found in an upstairs bedroom of the house they all lived in.
He added: "Maximus was on the bed while Alexander was lying on the floor next to the bed.
"The provisional cause of death for both of them was given as ligature compression to the neck pending further investigation.
"Nadja's provisional cause of death was given as suspension."
Alexander and Maximus were "model pupils" and "each other's best friend", their school said at the time in a tribute.
In a tribute, a spokesperson for Belvedere Infant and Junior School said: "It is with great sadness that we can confirm that two of our pupils, Alexander and Maximus De Jager, died at home this week.
"Alex and Max were truly wonderful members of our school community and we will remember them with great fondness and love.
"They were loving and caring boys who had a real hunger to learn.
"Both were model pupils and it was clear that they were each other's best friend.
"They will be hugely missed by pupils and staff alike, and forever be part of our hearts at Belvedere.
"Our deepest condolences are with the family and their friends during this difficult time."
Senior coroner for South London, Sarah Ormond-Walshe, told the hearing: "There is a police investigation in relation to all three deaths. The proceedings in this case are essentially adjourned."
The police investigation is likely to conclude in six months. Once that has happened it will be decided whether a full inquest needs to take place.
A neighbour told LBC she thought the deaths of two young boys was an "absolute tragedy".
Marion Beazer, who lives on Mayfield Road, believed the woman had lived there with the two boys for around five years.
Despite this, she said she had "no idea of their names", but added: "It's an absolute tragedy to lose two young boys."
