British Aid Worker Unlawfully Killed

15 December 2011, 06:00

A coroner gave a verdict of unlawful killing at the inquest into the death of a Stevenage woman shot dead in Afghanistan.

Karen Woo was a doctor and had been in the country giving life saving medical treatment to around 2000 people.

The 36 year old was shot dead alongside nine of her colleagues while crossing a river in August 2010.

The inquest was heard yesterday at the Old Courthouse in Hatfield. The coroner, Edward Thomas, praised the charitable work Karen and the others were doing saying "the mission up to this point of the tragedy was a great success".

At the time of the killing the Taliban claimed they attacked them because they were preaching Christianity. Karen’s family said this was a lie because she was not religious.

Karen was killed just 15 days before she was due to marry her fiancé Paddy Smith, a security consultant working in Afghanistan.

The FBI are continuing to look for Karen’s killers.