Matt and Grace Huang, adoptive parents of three, are finally back in the United States after a nightmare of accusations, imprisonment, and alleged abuse in Qatar. The family moved to Qatar on assignment with the engineering firm Matt worked for. When Matt found their adopted daughter, who suffered from an eating disorder, collapsed on their floor, he rushed her to the hospital where she died. Qatari officials accused the Huangs of adopting their children to kill them and harvest their organs at death.
Finally home and reunited with their children, the Huangs are assimliating back into family life. But their time in Qatar will be hard to forget. The NY Daily News reports that the Huangs’ case was never about politics. Regardless, the Huangs felt caught between two countries.
Matt says that he was abused in prison and attacked after release. The Huangs believe they should have been better prepared for the traditions of the country before being assigned. In Qatar, it is illegal to adopt, and East Asians are regarded as one of the “lowest racial classes of individuals,” according to LA Times.
Matt worked for the Colorado-base MWH Global, an engineering firm, who he says abandoned them when everything went bad. He is also suing for wrongful termination.
The company claims that Matt resigned of his own accord and that they did all they could to help the couple, including providing hundreds of thousands of dollars for legal fees to defend the Huangs.
William Turner, attorney for the Huangs stated, “It’s very important to Matt and Grace to set a precedent — to make sure there’s some sort of guidance for companies sending employees to dangerous places. There should be strict rules that they’re required to educate people and families so they’re prepared when they enter high-risk locations.”
