Health

Inquest to determine if London air pollution caused child's death


A fresh inquest into the death of a nine-year-old girl who suffered a fatal asthma attack will examine the role of the government as it looks at whether air pollution caused or contributed to her death.

Ella Kissi-Debrah died in February 2013 after three years of seizures and 27 visits to hospital for breathing problems.

An inquest in 2014, which focused on Ella’s medical care and ruled she died of “acute respiratory failure”, was quashed by high court judges in light of new evidence regarding air pollution levels.

A provisional ruling was made at Southwark coroners court for it to be a “full” inquest under article 2 – the right to life – of the Human Rights Act, which scrutinises the role of public bodies in a person’s death.

Assistant coroner Philip Barlow told the court “it seems to me that article 2 is engaged,” but said it was subject to any further submissions he received from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for Transport.

Transport for London and the London mayor’s office are also interested parties in the proceedings.

Barlow told the court on Tuesday: “It does seem to me that the scope of the investigation needs to move on to look at the pollution issue.”

He set out three broad issues at a pre-inquest review hearing on Tuesday, the first being whether air pollution caused or contributed to Ella’s death. Barlow said the inquest would also address how air pollution levels were monitored and what steps were taken to reduce the pollution.

The coroner said Ella’s family had asked the inquest to look at whether there was enough information available about the levels of air pollution in London, as well as its dangers.

Richard Hermer QC, representing the nine-year-old’s family, said Ella’s mother, Rosamund Kissi-Debrah, was in the process of consulting air pollution experts before the inquest.

The family have also asked whether or not the Department of Health and Social Care would be listed as an interested party.

After the hearing on Tuesday, Kissi-Debrah told reporters: “I’m just relieved that’s over for today – it’s a week before Christmas. All I can say is we know a lot more now about air pollution. We hope it will save future lives. It’s not going to bring my daughter back, but I hope it will save future lives.”

A further pre-inquest review is due to be held on 8 April before the full inquest, which is scheduled for the end of 2020 and will sit without a jury.

Ella lived 25 metres from the South Circular Road in Lewisham, south-east London – one of the capital’s busiest roads. The inquest in 2014 concluded that Ella’s cause of death was acute respiratory failure as a result of a severe asthma attack.

The 2018 report by Prof Stephen Holgate found air pollution levels at the Catford monitoring station one mile from Ella’s home “consistently” exceeded lawful EU limits during the three years prior to her death.

Ella may become the first person in the UK for whom air pollution is listed as the cause of death.

Jocelyn Cockburn, representing Kissi-Debrah, said: “There is very significant public interest in Ella’s inquest and I am pleased that the coroner is minded to hold an article 2 inquest.

“Air pollution is a human rights issue and the coroner’s ruling recognises that the British public have a ‘right to life’ in terms of air pollution and that there are arguable grounds for suggesting that this was breached in Ella’s case.”



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