Harry’s parents drop plan to sue US government
‘A living nightmare’
HARRY Dunn’s parents say they will no longer sue the US government over its handling of their son’s case.
Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn said they had taken the decision after a ‘signal’ from the State Department in Washington that it was now working to find a ‘reasonable resolution’ to the impasse.
It comes days after it emerged that Anne Sacoolas, 43, could be tried virtually in her absence. The American fled Britain citing diplomatic immunity after the crash in which Harry, 19, was killed. She has so far refused to return to face a charge of causing death by dangerous driving.
But last week, it was revealed that the Attorney General Suella Braverman, QC, was considering the possibility of a virtual trial or a trial in Sacoolas’s absence.
Harry’s parents hope their decision to no longer pursue a claim against President Trump’s administration would encourage US officials to meet them and discuss a way forward in their quest for a trial in the UK.
Harry died after his motorbike collided with a car outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire on August 27 last year. Sacoolas was on the wrong side of the road when the crash happened after she emerged from the US air base where her intelligence official husband Jonathan was stationed. She was allowed to fly back to the US last September. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refused an extradition request in January.
But last week the US State Department said it was now working with British officials in London to find a ‘reasonable resolution’.
Yesterday Mrs Charles, who is separated from Harry’s father, said: ‘We are going through a living nightmare and need closure. We will only get that when Mrs Sacoolas faces our justice system.
‘We can now see that the US government are working towards that end and we would like to meet with them as parents to explain why that is important and to help the discussions.’
The Dunn family will continue to pursue a civil claim in the US against Sacoolas.