Harry Dunn: Foreign secretary urges US suspect Anne Sacoolas to 'come back to UK' after fatal crash
The foreign secretary urges a US driver who allegedly collided with motorcyclist Harry Dunn to "come back to the UK".
Tuesday 17 December 2019 20:30, UK
The foreign secretary has urged a US woman allegedly responsible for the death of British motorcyclist Harry Dunn to "come back to the UK and co-operate with the criminal justice process".
Dominic Raab's comments came after he had a meeting with the 19-year-old's family who said they had been given "hope" after a more "open and friendly" conversation.
The family have previously said they have not been supported by the British authorities, with Harry's father saying he was "ignored" by Mr Raab after being left outside an event where the MP was speaking to local voters.
The family have also previously accused US and UK authorities of "treating us like we are the dirt at the bottom of your shoes".
On Tuesday, Mr Raab urged 42-year-old US citizen Anne Sacoolas, who claimed diplomatic immunity after Mr Dunn's death, to "do the right thing" if the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decided to charge her.
Ms Sacoolas, whose husband is thought to be a US intelligence officer, is accused of driving a car which collided with the teenager outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on 27 August. She left the country for America shortly after.
The foreign secretary said: "We are united in our determination to get justice for Harry. The government will do everything it can.
"I also reaffirmed my commitment to conclude the review of the arrangements at RAF Croughton by the end of the year to ensure they cannot be used in this way again.
"I appeal to Anne Sacoolas herself to do the right thing. If there is a charging decision from the Crown Prosecution Service, I urge her to come back to the United Kingdom and cooperate with the criminal justice process."
The family's spokesman claimed the meeting with Mr Raab had been "warm", saying: "One of the things that came across loud and clear for us which hadn't come across before is that both Andrea Leadsom (the family's local MP) and the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab would like this lady to come back too, and that's not something that we had heard."
It comes as chief constable Nick Adderley of Northamptonshire Police said he had sent a written apology to the family a "breakdown" in communication after he tweeted in October that it was "sad but predictable" that Harry's parents had launched legal action in the US.
He said any perceived fallout had been a "total misunderstanding".
The family called for him to resign shortly after but this week they sat down with him for "positive" talks.