Irish family remains in limbo after a Qatari court cut compensation for girl with severe burns

An Irish family has been left in limbo after a court in Qatar halved their daughter’s compensation.

lizabeth Soffe was just six months old when her family’s home in Al-Waab caught fire and she suffered third-degree burns over 60 percent of her body.

She also lost fingers, her hair, an ear and part of her nose. As a result, she needs lifelong treatment.

They were awarded €3.8 million after a six-year court battle over compensation to fund treatment, but now a court in Qatar has reduced that sum to $1.98 million after a second ruling.

Elizabeth’s parents, Sinead and Liam, who now live in the UK, filed a lawsuit in 2017 against Al-Asmakh Real Estate Development, the company that managed their mansion.

The company has been ordered to pay 15 million QR ($3.7 million) in damages after a fire expert said the fire was caused by a faulty power supply or poor maintenance of an air conditioning system.

However, the company has appealed and the judgment has now been overturned, reducing the compensation to around €1.8 million.

Her father told The guard: “You have declined [costs for] all future treatments – surgeries and prosthetics.

“She’s had 70 to 80 surgeries with the NHS and she’ll likely need at least two more each year until she’s an adult.

“We have spent around £25,000 on court fees so far. British lawyers say (say) compensation would be between £8million and £10million if the case went to trial here. (In Qatar) there is almost no thought given to what we would consider mental health and trauma.

“All we want is for Elizabeth to be taken care of so that she has a life and opportunities,” he added.