Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah: Mother wants apology, case in court

A woman whose nine-year-old daughter became the first person in the UK to have air pollution recognised as the cause of death is demanding an official apology for her daughter’s suffering as her case against the Government goes to trial in the High Court.

Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah’s daughter Ella from south-east London suffered a fatal asthma attack in 2013.

In 2020, the Southwark Coroner’s Court found that air pollution had “contributed significantly to Ella’s death.”

A government spokesman said: “Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah’s death was a tragedy and our thoughts are with her friends and family.”

Her daughter’s estate, administered by Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, is now suing three government agencies for compensation for Ella’s “illness and premature death”.

Ella, who lived 25 metres from the South Circular Road in Lewisham, suffered the asthma attack after being exposed to excessive air pollution, coroner Philip Barlow concluded.

In a ruling, he said nitrogen dioxide (NO2) levels near Ella’s home exceeded World Health Organization and European Union guidelines.

The inquest found that Ella had suffered several seizures and had been hospitalized 27 times in the three years prior to her death.

Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah’s lawyers had previously told the court that the personal injury case – “the first lawsuit of its kind” – was “not about money” but about “seeking compensation for Ella’s death”.

Their lawyers estimate the potential damages at £293,156, but the government, which is opposing the lawsuit, believes the damages would be worth £30,000 if they win.

At a preliminary hearing in London on Monday, lawyers discussed key aspects of the case ahead of what is expected to be a 10-day trial, which is scheduled to take place at a later date.

Judge David Cook made procedural orders to guide the proceedings at an early stage of the trial.

In her subsequent speech, Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said that her complaint against the ministers was about putting pressure on them and establishing a “right to clean air”.

She said she wanted “first and foremost an apology … for what Ella went through.”

“We got it from the Mayor of London, we expect the same from the government,” she said.

Ella had “suffered a lot,” said Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, adding: “It’s very sad how much she really missed out on. Her life was really cut short. That will never go away.”

She said that “not much has happened” since the coroner’s report to prevent future deaths.

Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah referred to the outgoing government’s target to reduce exposure to harmful air pollutants by 2040, but added: “A child born today will not get clean air until they are 16, and that is still a long way off.”

She added that it was difficult to comment on the new government’s approach after just a few days in office, but said: “We were told that a Clean Air Act would be included in a manifesto. There was nothing about that in the manifesto.”

Ms Adoo-Kissi-Debrah said a change in the law was needed, adding: “You can be the best activist in the world, but without appropriate laws, I don’t think you’re going to achieve much.”

She called on government agencies to work together and look at the coroner’s report and evidence collected during the Covid pandemic on the impacts of air pollution.

“It is high time we launched a public health campaign on the health effects of air pollution,” she said.

The Department for Environment, Food and Agriculture, the Department for Transport and the Department for Health and Social Care deny this claim.

Government lawyers had previously denied that the government’s actions constituted “a human rights violation” and that such an alleged violation, if proven, “caused Ella’s injuries and death.”

A government spokesman said: “Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah’s death was a tragedy and our thoughts are with her friends and family.”