Harry Dunn’s family will take legal action against the Foreign Office over death of their son, 19, in crash with US diplomat’s wife who then skipped the country
- Harry’s parents Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn are seeking a judicial review
- Claim FCO’s decision to give Anne Sacoolas diplomatic immunity was unlawful
- Their 19-year-old son died after his motorbike collided with her car in August
- Mrs Sacoolas used her husband’s privileges to leave the UK and return to US
The family of Harry Dunn, killed in a crash involving the wife of a US diplomat, have revealed they are taking legal action against the Foreign Office after she fled the country.
Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn have said they are seeking a judicial review into how the Government handled their son’s death.
Harry, 19, was killed when his motorbike collided with a car driven by Anne Sacoolas outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August.
Mrs Sacoolas, whose husband worked at the US base, used his diplomatic immunity to return to the US without facing legal proceedings.
Harry’s parents have accused the FCO of acting ‘unlawfully’ by allowing Mrs Sacoolas to leave Britain.
They said their son ‘wouldn’t be happy’ if they ‘just gave up’ and are determined to continue their fight.
Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn (pictured left and centre with Charlotte’s husband Bruce Charles right) have announced they are taking legal action against the Foreign Office with regards to how they handled the case involving their son Harry
The family’s spokesman Radd Seiger told Sky News: ‘The first action we are going to be taking is against the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.
‘We will shortly be issuing a letter of claim which is a prelude to a judicial review. We are absolutely clear that the Foreign Office’s decision to advise Northamptonshire police that Mrs Sacoolas had the benefit of diplomatic immunity was unlawful.
‘We will be seeking a judicial review to have it quashed. It’s absolutely clear that Mrs Sacoolas was involved in a very serious collision that ended in the loss of Harry’s life.
‘We are clear that she committed a very serious crime, at the very very least death by careless driving or death by dangerous driving. She is a fugitive from this country and she is on the run.
‘We appeal to her to come back too this country and face the music’.
Pictured: Harry Dunn, 19, who died after his motorbike was involved in a crash on August 27
It is understood the Dunn family has chosen human rights barrister Geoffrey Robertson, who has previously defended boxer Mike Tyson and former Brazilian president Lula da Silva, to be on their legal team.
Mr Seiger also questioned if Mrs Sacoolas was entitled to diplomatic immunity through family links, adding: ‘This person, whoever he is, was not a diplomat and therefore does not have the benefit of diplomatic immunity and nor does his family.
‘The other thing that we are going to be doing shortly is, unfortunately, referring Northamptonshire Police to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
‘Although they (Northamptonshire Police) have not disclosed all the information this family are entitled to, we have deep concerns about the manner in which this investigation was conducted, and simply adding insult to injury to this family at their darkest hour.’
When asked why the Dunn family is continuing their fight, Mr Seiger said: ‘We take it a day at a time, a moment at a time, and we never start off campaigns like this in a defeatist attitude.
‘This family have a steely determination about them to ensure that Harry has not died in vain.
‘I think the whole nation, the whole world now, is looking at this set of circumstances and it isn’t right.
Pictured: Anne Sacoolas, whose car collided with Harry Dunn’s motorbike outside RAF Croughton, where her husband worked, in Northamptonshire on August 27
‘You cannot go to another country and end up taking the life of a resident there and then just skipping the country. We all know that. ‘
He added: ‘We have not stopped since we started and we’ve got support from all around the world. People have been very kind in donating to our GoFundMe page and we also feel that we have Harry sitting right behind us.
‘He was a very determined and principled young man who knew right from wrong.He wouldn’t be happy if we just gave up and we are determined not to give up.’
This month Harry’s parents travelled to Washington to discuss his death with President Donald Trump.
Mrs Charles and Mr Dunn have also slammed Northamptonshire Police’s decision to send officers to interview Mrs Sacoolas in America.
They say they are referring the incident to watchdog the Independent Office for Police Conduct.
Source: Read Full Article