Lawrence lawyer f ights for family in child death tragedy

THE lawyer who represented the family of Stephen Lawrence is helping a couple dragged by police from the bedside of their dying daughter.

Imran Khan is acting for Rashid and Aliya Abbasi in a High Court bid to publicly name the hospital and medics involved in the care of their six-year-old child Zainab.

Mr Khan represented the Lawrences in a public inquiry into the teenager’s murder and a failed private prosecution of three suspects.

Earlier this year, The Mail on Sunday revealed footage showing officers pulling Dr Abbasi, a hospital consultant, away from Zainab’s bedside after he had been told her life support was being withdrawn.

He suffered a heart attack during his arrest. Police bodycam footage also showed his wife Aliya, a former doctor, being manhandled.

The couple believed their daughter, who suffered from respiratory problems and a rare genetic illness, could have survived and had asked for more tests on her shortly before the incident in August 2019.

Reporting restrictions prevent both the hospital in the North of England and her doctors from being identified. Their case is expected to be heard in February. Mrs Abbasi said: ‘ It’s all about transparency and accountability. We are so happy Imran Khan is involved. We essentially feel the tragedy of losing Zainab should have the same catalytic effect for sick and disabled children that the Stephen Lawrence case had for black youths.’

The couple have launched a funding campaign on CrowdJustice to pay for their legal actions.

The hospital trust said: ‘The suggestions the family makes are in dispute and evidence about this will be considered by the court.’