LONDON (AP) 鈥� The British government has apologized for the death of a 9-year-old girl who is believed to be the first person in the U.K. to have , after a decade-long battle that highlighted the risks vehicle emissions pose to children in low-income communities.
The apology was part of a settlement announced Thursday in a lawsuit filed by the mother of Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who developed severe asthma just before her 7th birthday and suffered severe seizures before she died on Feb. 15, 2013. The government also made an undisclosed financial settlement.
鈥淎lthough this isn鈥檛 going to bring Ella back, we finally accept this is acknowledgement of what happened to her, and to put the issue of air pollution firmly on the map, that it鈥檚 a public health crisis 鈥� and something needs to be done about it,鈥欌�� Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, Ella鈥檚 mother, said after meeting with government officials. 鈥淭oday it is finally over, but I am going to continue, and I have been reassured by the government that they鈥檙e going to be continuing to work with me to clean up the air.鈥�
Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah fought to reopen the coroner鈥檚 inquest into Ella鈥檚 death after the so-called revealed how Volkswagen obscured the true level of emissions released by its diesel-powered vehicles. Research by the Royal College of Physicians later showed that about 40,000 deaths can be attributed to outdoor air pollution each year in the U.K., with the burden falling most heavily on low-income communities close to busy roads and other major sources of emissions.
Ella grew up just 25 meters (yards) from the South Circular Road, a major conduit for traffic along the southern edge of central London.
Britain鈥檚 High Court in May 2019 set aside the findings of the original inquest, which attributed Ella鈥檚 death to asthma.
In December 2020, a second inquest found that air pollution was a contributing factor in Ella鈥檚 death, along with acute respiratory failure and severe asthma.
Throughout her illness, Ella was exposed to levels of nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter that exceeded World Health Organization guidelines, Deputy Coroner Philip Barlow ruled. There was also a 鈥渞ecognized failure鈥� to bring nitrogen dioxide levels within the limits set by European Union and domestic law.
鈥淓lla鈥檚 mother was not given information by health professionals about the health risks of air pollution and its potential to exacerbate asthma,鈥� Barlow said. 鈥淚f she had been given this information, she would have taken steps which might have prevented Ella鈥檚 death.鈥�
The child's estate, which is administered by her mother, sued the Environment Department, the Department for Transport and the Department of Health and Social Care for compensation over Ella鈥檚 illness and premature death.
The government on Thursday described Ella鈥檚 death as a 鈥渢ragedy,鈥� and said her mother鈥檚 public campaign for better air quality had 鈥渕ade a considerable impact.鈥�
Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said Environment Minister Emma Hardy reaffirmed her commitment to pass legislation that will bring the U.K. in line with WHO standards, according to a statement released by her law firm, Hodge Jones & Allen.
鈥淥n behalf of the government departments who were party to the claim, we again take this opportunity to say we are truly sorry for your loss and to express our sincerest condolences to you as Ella鈥檚 mother, to her siblings, and to everyone who knew her,鈥欌�� the government said in the statement. 鈥淭o lose a loved one at such a young age is an immeasurable loss.鈥�
Danica Kirka, The Associated Press
