An elderly woman, who is believed to have been mugged in the heart of Sliema last week, has succumbed to the violence and died in hospital – “murdered for just a few euros”, according to relatives.

Rose Garroni, an independent 80-year-old, was “left for dead” on the doorstep of her Dingli Circus apartment on December 8 and remained in a coma since, leaving family doubtful she would ever get out of it.

The incident also raises questions about the safety of a busy locality like Sliema.

The family has been left in the dark as to what actually happened to Ms Garroni, who died late on Tuesday. What they do know is she was found at 6.45 p.m., lying unconscious and in a pool of blood on the doorstep of her Sliema flat, still clutching at the handle of her bag – what was left of it when it was probably ripped off her.

It is believed she may have been pushed to the ground in a bag-snatching attack but the circumstances remain a mystery.

Just before she died, her nephew, Godwin Aquilina, spoke about the “shocking reality” behind the assault, making it known the consequences of the mugging were tragic: his aunt’s hip was broken in three parts; she suffered a broken femur and a massive head trauma.

The elderly woman’s skull had to be drilled to remove a blood clot and her chances of survival were remote.

Ms Garroni was at the Millennium chapel in Paceville before the attack. She was offered a lift but, being such an independent woman, she opted to catch the bus home. Had she accepted the lift and been accompanied to her door, she might have had another fate, the family pointed out.

Mark Rizzo, who helps out at the chapel, said she left at about 6.30 p.m.

“We spoke for a few minutes as she was our babysitter for about 10 years and I knew her well. Her last act was to go and pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament on Wednesday afternoon,” he said.

Tracing back her steps on that tragic night, Mr Aquilina said his aunt was at the Paceville chapel until sometime after 6 p.m. and was seen in Sliema 45 minutes later, so she could not have been lying on the pavement for too long.

“Unfortunately, we cannot be certain what happened. She was on her own and there seem to have been no witnesses; we do not even know who found her,” Mr Aquilina said.

“We have no idea who the perpetrator could be and it is important we find out to avoid further attacks of the sort. It has to be noted this happened in Dingli Street, which is hardly considered an unsafe area and it was not midnight!”

Mr Aquilina estimated that about three people were mugged in the same area since October and neighbours – not just the elderly – now feared going out and walking about.

“Of course, the elderly are easy targets and it seems many prefer to go about their errands in the morning these days,” Mr Aquilina said.

“My aunt was not well-off and was not the type to carry money around or to wear jewellery. She did not even like gold,” he said of the fact that she was “murdered” for a pittance.

His only consolation is that she recently attended his daughter’s concert and spent an evening in the company of her whole family.

Ms Garroni was separated, had no children and lived alone. But the rest of her extended family was by her side every day.

Her niece, Louise Grech, only hoped that “whoever has done this has the conscience to admit to it”, adding the police did not get back to them on the matter.