The mother of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn expressed relief today following the exposure of Foreign Office shortcomings. An independent review revealed that officials failed to address the collision outside a US military installation as a critical situation and withheld details from the Dunn family. Anne Sacoolas, a US state department employee, was driving on the incorrect side of the road when she struck 19-year-old Harry near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in 2019.
After the incident, US authorities transported Sacoolas back to the US under diplomatic immunity, 19 days later. The review conducted by Dame Anne Owers highlighted the UK’s delayed response, resulting in missed opportunities to influence the US government before Sacoolas departed. In an interview with the BBC, Charlotte Charles, Harry’s mother, mentioned that while the loss of a child never brings closure, there is solace in the acknowledgment that all necessary discussions have occurred and that future actions may bring about change.
Charles described the report as overwhelming but felt vindicated for feeling abandoned in the initial stages. She criticized former Conservative Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab for his disrespectful behavior during their meetings, recalling his insensitive remarks. The independent review, initiated by former Foreign Secretary David Lammy, scrutinized the government’s handling of Harry’s death and the support provided to the Dunn family by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Dame Anne Owers, the report’s author, identified deficiencies and oversights within the department post-incident.
The review concluded that the Foreign Office failed to address the Dunn case as a crisis and lost the chance to influence the US following the invocation of diplomatic immunity. It was noted that the Foreign Secretary was not directly informed of Sacoolas’s departure until a few days later, resulting in delayed communication with the Dunn family. Sacoolas, who admitted to causing death by careless driving, was sentenced via video-link to eight months in prison, suspended for a year, and a 12-month driving disqualification.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Mrs. Justice Cheema-Grubb commended the perseverance of Harry’s family, noting that their determination had led to Sacoolas admitting guilt after years of struggle.