Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab today moved to close a loophole on diplomatic immunity after an American woman left Britain following a car accident in which teenager Harry Dunn was killed.
The Cabinet minister told officials to start talks with the US Government to correct a long-standing anomaly which means family members of US staff based at RAF Croughton, Northamptonshire, have greater protection than the staff themselves.
Under arrangements agreed in the mid-1990s, American staff members at the base pre-waived their immunity against criminal prosecution in the UK, but this was not done for their families.
One option now being explored is to extend this automatic waiver to family members.
The move comes after a review commissioned by the Foreign Secretary in October after Anne Sacoolas, the driver of the car suspected of being involved in the collision with Harry Dunn, 19, was able to leave the country while police were still investigating the accident.
The teenager’s parents were today meeting officials at the Crown Prosecution Service to learn if Mrs Sacoolas will be charged, the family’s spokesman has said.
Harry was killed when his motorbike was involved in a collision with a car allegedly driven by Mrs Sacoolas, the wife of a UK-based US diplomat, outside RAF Croughton, on August 27.
Mrs Sacoolas, 42, left the country shortly after the incident and subsequently claimed diplomatic immunity.
Harry’s parents Tim Dunn and Charlotte Charles want Mrs Sacoolas to return to the UK to “face justice”, and they have been exploring civil actions against her both in Britain and the US.
Family spokesman Radd Seiger has confirmed the CPS has invited Harry’s parents to its London headquarters today to be informed of the charging decision.
A file of evidence was handed to the CPS on November 1 after Northamptonshire Police interviewed Mrs Sacoolas in the US.
