Family of teenager, 19, ‘killed by US diplomat’s wife’ hail ‘positive sign’ as her lawyers set up a meeting with them after she fled the country claiming diplomatic immunity
- Harry Dunn, 19, died when his motorbike crashed into a car outside an RAF base
- The suspect, 42-year-old Anne Sacoolas, was granted diplomatic immunity
- Lawyers representing the two parties have now made contact for the first time
Harry Dunn (pictured) died when his motorbike crashed into a car outside an RAF base on August 27
The lawyers of the US diplomat’s wife who was granted diplomatic immunity after a fatal crash with a teenager have opened discussions with the victim’s family.
A lawyer representing Anne Sacoolas, 42, has made contact with the representative of the family of Harry Dunn, who died when his motorbike crashed into a car driving on the wrong side of the road outside an RAF base on August 27.
The 19-year-old victim’s parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, have now decided to take their fight to the US.
They said they will visit both New York and Washington DC to gain support from Americans and ‘put pressure on the US administration to do the right thing’.
Radd Seiger, a former lawyer and family friend of the Dunns, told ITV News: ‘I have just landed on a flight from London and had a very brief phone conversation with the legal team representing Anne Sacoolas.
The 19-year-old victim’s parents, Charlotte Charles (pictured) and Tim Dunn, have now decided to take their fight to the US
Spokesman Radd Seiger (centre) said he has had a brief phone conversation with Sacoolas’s lawyers
‘We have agreed to meet each other at the earliest possibility as soon as we can co-ordinate our diaries.’
He also told Sky News it was a ‘positive step forward’, saying: ‘It’s a great sign (Mrs Sacoolas’ lawyer has) reached out to us and we will be engaging in embracing those discussions as openly and as positively as we always do.’
It is understood to be the first contact between the two parties since Sacoolas left the UK after she was granted diplomatic immunity following the crash.
The suspect, 42-year-old Anne Sacoolas (pictured) – who is reportedly married to a US intelligence official, was granted diplomatic immunity following the crash
On Friday, the Prime Minister said America is ‘absolutely ruthless’ in its safeguarding of Mrs Sacoolas following the decision to grant her immunity.
Boris Johnson said although President Trump was sympathetic towards Harry’s family’s views on the use of diplomatic immunity, the US are ‘very reluctant’ to allow citizens to be tried abroad.
Speaking of taking their campaign to the US, Harry’s family said in a statement that they ‘continue to live in a nightmare’ and have so far been unable to grieve after his death.
A statement released on behalf of the family said: ‘As if losing Harry was not enough, they now find themselves having to expend enormous time and energy, which they can ill afford, generating sufficient publicity to garner public support to persuade the US government to help achieve closure and return the driver Mrs Sacoolas to England to face the consequences of her actions.