The
White House has asked for an “urgent meeting” with the family of Harry Dunn.
A family spokeswoman said the 19-year-old’s parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, will head to
Washington later today.
The teenager was killed when his motorbike was involved in a head-on collision outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August.
Anne Sacoolas, the motorist allegedly responsible for the crash, was given diplomatic immunity and allowed to return to the US after the crash.
The family travelled to America earlier this week and said they would be trying to convince President
Donald Trump to reverse the decision.
In a post on the Justice 4 Harry GoFundMe page, the teenager’s family said: “We will be meeting with various news channels to spread our campaign with all of America and ultimately hope that the
American government see that it is right to send Anne Sacoolas back to the
UK to face our justice system.”
The family, who met Foreign Secretary Dominic Rabb in the UK last week, have also demanded an investigation over the Foreign Office’s (FCO) advice to Northamptonshire Police that Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity.
They are demanding to see all emails, messages and notes sent in relation to her immunity status. Speaking in
New York, family spokesman Radd Seiger said: “We want to conduct an investigation into the FCO’s decision to advise Northamptonshire Police that this lady had the benefit of diplomatic immunity.
“What we don’t know is whether somebody cocked up or whether they were put under pressure by the Americans to concede.”
If they are not happy with the documents, the family say they will then ask for a judge’s opinion on the lawfulness of the FCO’s decision.
Seiger added: “If we’re not satisfied, then we’ll go to a judicial review and ask a High Court judge to review it all.”
On Saturday, before the family left for the US, they received a letter from Raab, saying that Sacoolas, 42, no longer had immunity.
“The letter is worded very carefully, they’re not saying it’s just a change of heart – they are saying that it’s an evolution,” said Seiger.
He also said that the family’s lawyers, Mark Stephens and Geoffrey Robertson QC, believe “they’ve (the FCO) been lying to you”.
Charles and Dunn said: “We were astonished last Saturday to receive the hand-delivered letter from the FCO indicating that Sacoolas did not in fact have diplomatic immunity.
“We were still reeling from our terrible meeting with Dominic Raab, Foreign Secretary, last Wednesday, just three days earlier, where he was adamant that Sacoolas did have immunity.
“Something is not right. We will not rest until we get the truth. We will not let Harry passing be in vain.”
Sacoolas has said she is “terribly sorry” about the incident and that she had “no time to react” when she saw Dunn’s motorbike.
Her lawyer, Amy Jeffress, told the Mirror: “Anne was driving on the wrong side of the road and is terribly, terribly sorry for that tragic mistake.
“She wants to meet the family and apologise and take responsibility. Anne had no time to react when she saw the motorbike.”
Jeffress, from US firm Arnold & Porter, said the diplomat’s wife also stayed at the scene and flagged down other people to help the teenager.
Jeffress added: “She spoke to Harry to tell him that she would call for help.
“She waved down another car. That driver offered to assist Harry so that Anne could comfort her young children in her car.”
The FCO has been contacted for comment.Related... Harry Dunn's Family To Launch Judicial Review Into Government's Advice Over Suspect's Immunity Harry Dunn’s Parents Say They Can’t Grieve Until Crash Suspect Is Returned To The UK Harry Dunn: US Suspect In Fatal Crash No Longer Has Diplomatic Immunity, Foreign Office Says