After years of pushing for answers about her nine-year-old daughter’s death, Hither Green mother and clean air campaigner Rosamund Adoo Kissi Debra is one step closer.
But the truth has a £25k price tag for the Kissi Debra family.
Ella Kissi Debra, a Holbeach primary pupil, died in February 2013 from acute respiratory failure after years of coughing fits and seizures, and 27 visits to hospital.
Her family was this month given permission by the attorney general to apply for a fresh inquest into her death, after their lawyers said the original held in 2014 did not investigate the potential impact of air pollution.
But they now have until February 18 to find the £25k needed to cover legal costs, and have been turned down by legal aid.
While a crowdjustice fund was already close to raising £14k, there was still work to do to raise the further £11k needed before the deadline, Ms Adoo Kissi Debra explained.
“The barristers in good faith have continued to work because they believe in it,” she said.
Ella’s story has made national headlines and grabbed the attention of politicians including health secretary Matt Hancock, who recently said he hoped her death would push more people to support clean air initiatives.
The cause of her asthma was never established, but new research into Ella’s death shows her frequent hospital admissions coincided with spikes in illegal levels of air pollution around her home, 25m from the busy South Circular Road.
The report, obtained in April 2018, said air pollution levels at the Catford monitoring station one mile from Ella’s home “consistently” exceeded lawful EU limits over the three years prior to her death.
After the fresh evidence emerged, more than 170,000 people signed a Change.org petition set up by Ella’s mother, calling for a fresh inquest.
Now Ms Adoo Kissi Debra and her legal team are preparing for the high court, she said.
“The next stage is the high court. Normally the judge doesn’t go against the attorney general but it is not a done deal.”
Still, the news was “huge” she said.
“My heart is racing now just speaking to you about it.”
To support Ms Adoo Kissi Debra, visit www.crowdjustice.com/case/airpollution/.
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