The mother of Harry Dunn has said she remains hopeful for a personal response from Donald Trump to a letter she sent on Tuesday pleading with the U.S. government to review the decision to block an extradition request for her son’s alleged killer.
She believes the ‘door is slightly ajar’ despite the U.S. state department maintaining its position on the diplomatic immunity granted to suspect Anne Sacoolas.
Charlotte Charles said: ‘Although we are disappointed with the response, it seems to me that they have left the door slightly ajar.
‘I hope Tim and I get a personal response. We want to engage with President Trump and Secretary Pompeo to deal with this on a friendly basis.
‘They know I made a promise to my son to get him justice and we won’t stop until that happens,’ she added.
Harry Dunn (pictured) was killed in August 2019 when a car collided head-on with his motorcycle outside an RAF base in Croughton. The car was allegedly being driven by the wife of a U.S. intelligence official, Anne Sacoolas, who returned to the United States
Dunn’s parents, Charlotte Charles (L) and Tim Dunn, pictured together on the ‘This Morning’ TV show in October 2019, wrote to President Trump, pleading with him to reverse the decision to uphold the block on Anne Sacoolas’ extradition
Harry Dunn’s parents met President Trump at the White House in October, but have said they have not heard anything from him since after he said he would look at the case further.
The letter, from Mrs Charles and Harry’s father, Tim Dunn and addressed to Mr Trump and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, came after reports that lawyers acting on behalf of 42-year-old Anne Sacoolas had opened up a dialogue with the Foreign Office earlier this year to work towards a ‘resolution’.
Downing Street backed the teenager’s parents’ attempts to lobby the president after Mrs Charles and Mr Dunn asked the pair to review the decision to block an extradition request for the suspect.
The parents urged the president and the secretary of state to reconsider the decision to refuse the Home Office’s request to extradite Mrs Sacoolas, saying the UK justice system has ‘fairness at its heart’.
They took their campaign for justice to the U.S. in October, two months after their 19-year-old son was killed when his motorbike collided with a car outside a U.S. military base in Northamptonshire.
Mrs Sacoolas, the wife of a U.S. intelligence official based at RAF Croughton, claimed diplomatic immunity following the crash and was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy.
She was charged with causing the death by dangerous driving of Mr Dunn in December, after the incident on 27 August 2019, and has admitted to driving on the wrong side of the road. An extradition request was rejected by Mr Pompeo in January.
Sacoolas was charged with causing the death by dangerous driving of Mr Dunn in December but an extradition request was rejected by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) in January. Dunn’s parents met with President Trump (right) in October
On Thursday, a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department reiterated its position that at the time of the accident, and for the duration of her time in the UK, the driver had immunity from criminal jurisdiction.
She told PA that the Foreign Secretary had made that clear in Parliament on October 21, 2019 and since the accident occurred, the United States had been closely engaged with the UK Government and have been transparent about their positions on legal and diplomatic matters.
The family’s spokesman, Radd Seiger, said the response to the letter was ‘shockingly poor’ – adding the Foreign Secretary’s address to the House of Commons would be something he would ‘live to regret’.
Also commenting on the response, Mr Seiger said: ‘With all due respect to the State Department, that is a shockingly poor response to what was a warmhearted and genuine letter to President Trump and Secretary Pompeo from Harry’s parents which was sent in good faith.
‘I see they seize on Dominic Raab’s ill-judged words to the House of Commons on October 21 when he stated Anne Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity as justification for their unlawful and egregious conduct in denying Harry’s family the justice they deserve.
‘As is now becoming clear, that was a highly misleading statement to parliament which Mr Raab will live to regret.’
The incident in which Harry Dunn was killed occurred 400 yards from RAF Croughton. Mrs Sacoolas has admitted to driving on the wrong side of the road as she left the base
Mrs Sacoolas (pictured back in the United States), the wife of a US intelligence official based at RAF Croughton, claimed diplomatic immunity following the crash and was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy
In their letter urging Mr Trump to reconsider the decision to refuse the extradition request, the teenager’s parents said: ‘It is now six months since we met with you, Mr President, in the Oval Office. We hope you are as well as can be in the current difficult circumstances.
‘When we parted last October, you kindly mentioned that you would take a different look at the case and we have not heard from you since.
‘Of course, since then, the UK have sought Mrs Sacoolas’ extradition which has been rejected by Secretary Pompeo.
‘We note from the British press that Mrs Sacoolas’ lawyer has reached out to the Foreign Office here in London and that she is attempting to seek a resolution to the problem. We understand that Mrs Sacoolas must be suffering too.
‘The purpose of this letter is to ask you please to review your decision to not allow her to return to face the justice system, which as you know has fairness at its heart.
‘As we are sure you can appreciate, it is really the only way forward in the interests of both families and of relations between our two nations which have suffered as a result of the decision.
‘If you allow her to return, we are sure only good can come from it. Otherwise, the problem will never go away. No one is above the law.’