NBC Los Angeles: Southern California Couple Cleared in Death of Daughter Leave Qatar
MIchael Larkin of NBC Los Angeles reports on the Huangs' return to the U.S. after their arrest in Qatar:
A Southern California couple cleared in the death of their adopted daughter left the Gulf Arab national of Qatar Wednesday after a two-year legal battle.
A U.S. ambassador confirmed Matthew and Grace Huang had successfully passed through passport control and left the country on Wednesday. The couple is from the San Gabriel Valley and moved to Qatar while Matthew Huang worked in the country on preparations for its role as World Cup host in 2020.
Officials in Qatar, where the family had moved for work, had accused the parents of killing their 8-year-old adopted daughter Gloria by starving her and also of obtaining all three of their children through human trafficking.
The Huangs maintained their daughter died from an eating disorder. The Huangs appealed their sentence, and after a two-year battle a court ruling absolved them of any wrongdoing in the death of their child.
U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) called the case a "Kafkaesque nightmare."
"The travel ban on Grace and Matthew Huang has been lifted and they have begun the long journey home to their family -- this news is both welcome and very long overdue," Schiff said in a statement. "Now exonerated by the Qatari court of appeals, the Huangs are finally coming to the end of this Kafkaesque nightmare, which compounded the tragedy of their daughter's death. I appreciate the diligent work of the State Department, their family and friends, and supporters across the world in helping to secure their release."
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By: MIchael Larkin
Source: NBC Los Angeles