The mother of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn expressed relief today following the exposure of failures within the Foreign Office. An independent review revealed that officials did not handle the crash near a US military base as a crisis and withheld information from Dunn’s family. Anne Sacoolas, a US state department employee, was driving on the wrong side of the road when she struck 19-year-old Harry near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in 2019.
After the incident, the US authorities flew Sacoolas back to the US, citing diplomatic immunity. The review, conducted by Dame Anne Owers, highlighted the UK’s delayed response, which resulted in missed opportunities to engage with the US government before Sacoolas left. In an interview with the BBC, Charlotte Charles, Harry’s mother, expressed that while the loss of a child never brings closure, there is some comfort in the hope for future changes.
Charles described the report as overwhelming but validating her initial feelings of abandonment. She criticized former Conservative Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab for his behavior during their meetings, stating that he was dismissive and unhelpful. The review, initiated by former foreign secretary David Lammy, outlined shortcomings in the Foreign Office’s handling of the case and support provided to the Dunn family.
Sacoolas, who admitted to causing death by careless driving, appeared in court via video link in December 2022 and received a suspended prison sentence. The judge acknowledged the Dunn family’s persistence in seeking justice over the three-year ordeal, leading to Sacoolas accepting guilt for her actions.