Sudden Unexplained Death Abroad - The Fight for Justice

Sudden Unexplained Death  Abroad - the Fight for Justice

 

The fight for justice for a loved one who dies or disappears under suspicious circumstances whilst abroad can be a rocky road.  The frequent strong desire by the police and authorities in the country where the tragedy occurs to deflect any initial suggestions of foul play is a hurdle that can prove to be extremely difficult to negotiate.  Relatives are faced with their concerns being dismissed and they are accused of skewed vision resulting from their grief.  Not infrequently suggestions that the victim was, in part, to blame for their own death and they are often besmirched by suggestions of drunkenness or drug-taking and other inappropriate behaviours as being entirely or in part the cause of their demise.  Rarely can a bereaved family penetrate the barriers of deliberate obstruction on their own; to avoid being fobbed off and misled as to your legal position it is wise to have a multi-jurisdictional, multi-lingual lawyer by your side to advise and guide you through the legal regime of the country.

There have been some significant success stories, Fiona MacKeown, mother of Scarlett Keeling who died in Goa, has recently seen her daughter’s attackers sentenced after being found guilty of a raft of offences connected with the case, including culpable homicide.  Ms. MacKeown has endured a long struggle since 2008 when her daughter was said to have met with an accident.  Her lawyer was credited in the British press as "dogged local lawyer who helped dismantle the official account. Amid allegations of cover-up and corruption”. 

Helen Smith’s father, Ron Smith, as an experienced former police officer, recognised immediately that his daughter was unlikely to have met her end in the way it was suggested in the official version.  Ms. Smith, a nurse, allegedly died falling from a balcony in Saudi Arabia.  He campaigned relentlessly for an inquest in the UK, taking his fight to the Court of Appeal.  Mr. Smith’s persistence resulted in a change in the rules imposing a duty on coroners to investigate deaths abroad of citizens of England and Wales if the remains were repatriated.  Helen was laid to rest 30 years after her death when her ailing father had done all that was possible to achieve justice for her.

John Ward is still campaigning for justice for his daughter Julie who died in the Maasai Mara following an attack. Mr Ward has visited Kenya over one hundred times during his campaign for justice and whilst he has successfully succeeded in overturning several of the outlandish official explanations, one of which is that his daughter had been attacked by lions and subsequently struck by lightning, he is still trying to get a second trial for the chief suspect by obtaining a DNA sample as compelling new evidence.  Mr. Ward’s lawyer has guided him through the legal procedures to force further enquiries and maintained a forceful challenging style of cross-examination when faced with the improbable suggestions as to how Ms. Ward died.

Giambrone’s criminal team have expertise and experience in penetrating the walls of obfuscation frequently thrown up around cases of sudden death abroad.  Our lawyers have fearless tenacity to pursue justice for our clients and recognise the destructive effect of official refusal to take seriously the concerns of a bereaved family.  

If you would like to know how Giambrone’s criminal team can help you obtain justice for your loved one please click here