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You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/oct/13/harry-dunn-anne-sacoolas-driver-who-fled-uk-devastated-by-fatal-crash
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| Harry Dunn: Anne Sacoolas has lost diplomatic immunity, says FCO | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has reportedly said US woman Anne Sacoolas does not have diplomatic immunity over the road crash that killed 19-year-old Harry Dunn. | |
| Dunn died when his motorbike and a car collided outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on 27 August. The woman believed to be driving the car, 42-year-old Sacoolas – who is reportedly married to a US intelligence official – left the UK following the crash citing diplomatic immunity. | |
| Now the foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has written to Dunn’s family about Sacoolas and, according to the BBC and Sky News, has said: “The US have now informed us that they too consider that immunity is no longer pertinent. | |
| “We have pressed strongly for a waiver of immunity, so that justice can be done … Whilst the US government has steadfastly declined to give that waiver, that is not the end of the matter,” the BBC quoted Raab’s letter saying. | |
| “We have looked at this very carefully … the UK government’s position is that immunity, and therefore any question of waiver, is no longer relevant in Mrs Sacoolas’ case, because she has returned home.” | |
| An FCO spokesman told the Press Association that the office “would not be commenting further on the content of the letter”. | |
| Meanwhile Sacoolas has been left “devastated” by the crash, her lawyer has said. | |
| Sacoolas’s legal representative, Amy Jeffress, said: “Anne is devastated by this tragic accident. No loss compares to the death of a child and Anne extends her deepest sympathy to Harry Dunn’s family.” | Sacoolas’s legal representative, Amy Jeffress, said: “Anne is devastated by this tragic accident. No loss compares to the death of a child and Anne extends her deepest sympathy to Harry Dunn’s family.” |
| Dunn’s parents Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn have said they are flying to the US to “put pressure on the US administration to do the right thing”. | Dunn’s parents Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn have said they are flying to the US to “put pressure on the US administration to do the right thing”. |
| For both the Ratcliffes and Dunns, justice remains cruelly out of reach | Barbara Ellen | |
| Radd Seiger, who is representing Dunn’s family, told ITV News he had spoken to Sacoolas’s legal team “very briefly” over the phone after arriving in the US on Saturday. | Radd Seiger, who is representing Dunn’s family, told ITV News he had spoken to Sacoolas’s legal team “very briefly” over the phone after arriving in the US on Saturday. |
| He said: “We have agreed to meet each other at the earliest possibility as soon as we can coordinate our diaries.” | He said: “We have agreed to meet each other at the earliest possibility as soon as we can coordinate our diaries.” |
| It is the first contact between both parties since Sacoolas left the UK. Sacoolas’s lawyer said: “Anne would like to meet with Mr Dunn’s parents so that she can express her deepest sympathies and apologies for this tragic accident. We have been in contact with the family’s attorneys and look forward to hearing from them.” | It is the first contact between both parties since Sacoolas left the UK. Sacoolas’s lawyer said: “Anne would like to meet with Mr Dunn’s parents so that she can express her deepest sympathies and apologies for this tragic accident. We have been in contact with the family’s attorneys and look forward to hearing from them.” |
| Jeffress said Sacoolas spoke with “authorities” at the scene of the crash and met Northampton police at her home the following day. “She will continue to cooperate with the investigation,” the lawyer said. | Jeffress said Sacoolas spoke with “authorities” at the scene of the crash and met Northampton police at her home the following day. “She will continue to cooperate with the investigation,” the lawyer said. |
| On Friday, Boris Johnson said America was “absolutely ruthless” in its safeguarding of the diplomatic immunity of people like Sacoolas. | On Friday, Boris Johnson said America was “absolutely ruthless” in its safeguarding of the diplomatic immunity of people like Sacoolas. |
| A fatal crash and the problem of diplomatic immunity – podcast | A fatal crash and the problem of diplomatic immunity – podcast |
| The prime minister said that although Donald Trump was sympathetic towards Dunn’s family’s views on the use of diplomatic immunity, the US was “very reluctant” to allow citizens to be tried abroad. | The prime minister said that although Donald Trump was sympathetic towards Dunn’s family’s views on the use of diplomatic immunity, the US was “very reluctant” to allow citizens to be tried abroad. |
| Speaking of taking their campaign to the US, Dunn’s family said in a statement that they “continue to live in a nightmare” and have so far been unable to grieve after his death. The family are due to fly to the US on Sunday, ITV News has reported. | Speaking of taking their campaign to the US, Dunn’s family said in a statement that they “continue to live in a nightmare” and have so far been unable to grieve after his death. The family are due to fly to the US on Sunday, ITV News has reported. |
| A statement released on behalf of the family said: “As if losing Harry was not enough, they now find themselves having to expend enormous time and energy, which they can ill afford, generating sufficient publicity to garner public support to persuade the US government to help achieve closure and return the driver Mrs Sacoolas to England to face the consequences of her actions.” | A statement released on behalf of the family said: “As if losing Harry was not enough, they now find themselves having to expend enormous time and energy, which they can ill afford, generating sufficient publicity to garner public support to persuade the US government to help achieve closure and return the driver Mrs Sacoolas to England to face the consequences of her actions.” |
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