FOREIGN Secretary Dominic Raab has agreed with the US to scrap the “anomaly” which gave the suspect in the death of British teen Harry Dunn diplomatic immunity.
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab announced the changes this morning after months of talks to bring US diplomat’s wife Anne Sacoolas – the suspect in the teen’s death – back to Britain.
Ms Sacoolas was allegedly driving on the wrong side of the road when she hit 19-year-old Harry’s motorbike outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27 last year.
But Ms Sacoolas fled back to the US and claimed diplomatic immunity to prevent winding up in front of British courts.
Mr Raab made the announcement after his meeting with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday.
Mr Raab and Boris Johnson have been trying to thrash out an agreement with the US that means she would return to the UK so Harry Dunn’s family can see justice done for the teen.
In a written statement Mr Raab said today: “I am glad to inform the House today that we have concluded those discussions with the US and agreed a revision of the arrangements.
“I welcome the constructive engagement of our US allies in these discussions.
“The US waiver of immunity from criminal jurisdiction is now expressly extended to family members of US staff.
“Thus ending the anomaly in the previous arrangements and permitting the criminal prosecution of the family members of those staff, should these tragic circumstances ever arise again.”
Mr Raab vowed to make sure no family would ever have to endure what Harry’s family had gone through in their fight for justice.
He said: “We have the deepest sympathy for Harry Dunn’s family. No family should have to experience what they have gone through and I recognise that these changes will not bring Harry back.
“However, I hope that the knowledge that the (immunity) arrangements have been revised and that a family in their position would now see justice done brings some small measure of comfort.”
Harry’s mother Charlotte Charles said today’s announcement was a “huge step forward” adding that one of the family’s aims was for this to “never happen to another family again”.
But she said she would not give up campaigning to bring back Ms Sacoolas to Britain to face investigations over her son’s death.
