Last Updated on: 21st November 2022, 10:02 pm
Who is Rafaelle Tsakanika? Biography, Wiki
Rafaelle Tsakanika, a makeup artist from Cambridge, died in March 2019 after a car crash, but Qatari authorities have given little information to her family.
Three years after the incident, the family of a Briton killed in a hit-and-run accident in Qatar still “doesn’t have a clear picture”, according to an investigation.
Rafaelle Tsakanika Age
Her current age was 21 years.
Rafaelle Tsakanika Hit-And-Run in Car Crash Near Qatar, Doha
The 21-year-old, also known as Raffy, and her 20-year-old friend were in the passenger seat of a Toyota Land Cruiser when they were caught speeding in Doha.
The inquest, at which Ms. Sullivan called her “best friend”, was attended by mother Jo Sullivan and stepfather Donal Sullivan, according to Cambridgeshire Live.
After Raffy, from Cambridge, died from head injuries and blunt force trauma, family members said it was “like a jigsaw puzzle” to put it all together, the court heard.
Family Demand Justice
Before the collision, witnesses claimed that Mubarak Al Hajri was running at 180 km/h and driving “recklessly”.
The 46-year-old man was found guilty in Qatari courts of killing Raffy, seriously injuring his friend, speeding, endangering life, leaving the scene of the accident, and other charges.
He was sentenced to two months in prison and asked to return to Raffy’s family.
Ms. Sullivan said, “Your loss has affected not only us but the entire community.”
“A lot of people can’t get over it and I don’t think we ever will. Our whole life has just been destroyed.”
Those close to Raffy said there was “an inconsistency in the facts presented” in Qatar when trying to explain the tragedy.
Extensive evidence and eyewitness accounts were presented at the inquest, which took place in Huntingdon on Monday.
The family brought Raffy back to the UK, according to Sullivan, because “she was our only piece of evidence”.
He told the inquest that the family decided to have CT scans, blood tests, and other tests done to “understand what happened.”
The court was also told that an autopsy was carried out at Addenbrooke in Cambridge in April 2019.
Coroner Simon Milburn said at the inquest Raffy died from “traumatic injuries to the head and abdomen”.
He said she was “unconscious probably from head injuries and probably died a few minutes after the crash” with a series of external injuries.
He also had brain contusions and hemorrhages that resulted in “acute traumatic brain injury,” but said that was “not the cause of death per se on inquest”.
Milburn said, “The head injury, in this case, was significant and likely contributed to the cause of death.”
Police Investigation Report
According to Mr. Sullivan, the family had traveled to Qatar for work for about ten consecutive years. He claimed during the investigation “to have been involved in four or five of the new stadiums being built (for the World Cup) and the airport expansion”.
He said: “We had a great time and it was a good place to be. Although arduous, the work was worth it.”
He added: “You’ve always heard horror stories, but you’ve got them everywhere. We were aware of the road issues, we experienced a lot of erratic driving and flashing lights from Qatari drivers.”
Speaking of the day of the incident, Mr. Sullivan said: “When we found out that Raffy hadn’t returned, we knew something was wrong.”
Our only concern was where he was, so we went to local security to find out where he’d been, who he was with, and where he’d gone.
“We have found no information.”
