An Irish family say they cannot afford their seriously-burnt daughter’s medical treatment after a Qatari court cut their compensation in half.
Elizabeth Soffe, nine, was just a six-month-old baby when her home in Al-Waab, Qatar, caught fire, leaving her with third-degree burns to 60 per cent of her body.
She also lost her hair, an ear and some fingers, as well as part of her nose, in the horrific blaze.
The family now live in Birmingham, in the UK, and Elizabeth now needs lifelong care.
After a court battle for compensation to help fund Elizabeth’s treatment that went on for six years, they were finally awarded QAR 15 million (GBP 3.4 million).
But now a court in Qatar has cut that figure to about GBP 1.6 million after the property company deemed responsible appealed.
Elizabeth’s parents, Sinead and Liam, initially filed their lawsuit against Al-Asmakh Real Estate Development, the company that managed their home, in 2017.
The initial compensation amount was awarded after a fire expert determined that the blaze had been caused by faulty electrics or poor maintenance of an air conditioning unit.
Liam, a civil engineer who worked as a project manager on infrastructure for the FIFA World Cup in Qatar, told The Guardian: “They rejected all future treatment [costs] – operations and prosthetics – because nothing was scheduled.”
The dad added: “She has had 70-80 operations on the NHS, and she will probably need at least another two operations every year until she’s an adult. She’ll need prosthetics for the front of her nose and one of her ears, and her medical team are talking about taking one of her toes to make a thumb for one of her hands.
“We’ve spent about GBP 25,000 on court fees so far. UK solicitors we’ve asked all agree that if the case was heard here, the compensation would be between GBP 8 million and GBP 10 million.”
He added: “All we want is for Elizabeth to be taken care of, so that she has a life and opportunities.”
Both Elizabeth’s family, who are originally from Dublin, and the property rental company have appealed the latest ruling, with the next court date set for February.
