A US diplomat’s wife was today charged with causing the death of teenager Harry Dunn in a car crash, the CPS has said.
Motorcyclist Harry, 19, died following the smash with a car being driven by Anne Sacoolas outside RAF Croughton on August 27.
Mrs Sacoolas, 43, the wife of a US intelligence officer working at the base, left the UK with her family claiming diplomatic immunity.
The decision to charge her with causing death by dangerous driving follows months of campaigning by Harry’s parents Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn.
In a statement released on Friday, Chief Crown Prosecutor Janine Smith, said:“Following the death of Harry Dunn in Northamptonshire, the Crown Prosecution Service has today authorised Northamptonshire Police to charge Anne Sacoolas with causing death by dangerous driving.
“The Director of Public Prosecutions has met with Harry Dunn’s family to explain the basis of the decision we have made following a thorough review of the evidence available.
“May I remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against Anne Sacoolas are now active and that she has a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Today’s decision will pave the way for extradition proceedings to begin against Mrs Sacoolas, who remains in the US.
The Dunn family’s adviser and spokesman Radd Seiger said: “Harry Dunn died almost four months ago on August 27, doing what he loved most in life, riding his beloved Kawasaki motorbike.
“The CPS have today announced that the driver of the car that collided with Harry will be charged with causing death by dangerous driving. We will make no comment about the case.”
He added: “I have witnessed their pain first-hand day in day out for all these weeks yet marvel at their courage, compassion, decency, magnanimity but above all else tenacity in their fight for justice .
“They made a promise to their son as he passed away that they would not let him down and would get justice for him. That battle turned into a battle on all our behalf as they committed to ensuring that Harry’s death would not be in vain and that what happened to them would never happen to another family again.
“Today’s development is obviously a significant one but above all else will enable them, at long last, to begin the process of grieving for the loss of their beloved son.”
The parents were today meeting with CPS officials in central London, who have been reviewing a file of evidence handed to them on November 1 after Northamptonshire Police interviewed Sacoolas in the US.
It follows a “warm” meeting between the parents and Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab on Tuesday in which he told them the Government is doing “everything it can” to get justice.
juicejohnson on December 20th, 2019 at 15:03 UTC »
Good. Driving on the wrong side of the road and killing someone in a foreign country shouldn’t be excused because you are a diplomat.
Amazing how much coverage this got while I was in the UK and barely is mentioned In the US news cycle.
VagueSomething on December 20th, 2019 at 14:36 UTC »
The biggest thing about this though is her killing someone has shut the loophole that allowed her to escape the country after killing a teenager.
punishmentbrigade1 on December 20th, 2019 at 14:05 UTC »
That's the end of Anne Sacoolas' international travels. Shorn of diplomatic status, she can now be picked up by any country she visits and delivered to the UK.