Harry Dunn's mother tells of 'excruciating pain' of trying to get justice for son... as she urges PM to take up case with US during Mike Pompeo visit

Kit Heren19 July 2020

The mother of teenager Harry Dunn, who was killed in a traffic collision with the wife of a US diplomat last year, has spoken of her “beyond excruciating” ordeal to get justice for her son almost a year after his death.

Charlotte Charles told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge: “We’re still very much determined to get that justice. The determination still burns extremely strong but we’re tired and we need the UK to work really hard with the US government now and bring a closure to this… do not allow us and force us to go into a second year of fighting.”

Ms Charles added it would mean “absolutely everything” if suspect Anne Sacoolas was returned to the UK.

She said: “It’s so important to feel supported by your own Government and unfortunately we just haven’t had that but it’s never too late. So just help us."

And she urged US and British leaders to discuss the case during Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s visit to London on Monday.

Ms Charles said in a separate video statement: “Mr Raab, Mr Pompeo, Mr Johnson, when you get together next week with all of your families fully intact whilst mine is in complete tatters and my family has been ripped apart, can you please, please discuss Harry?"

The Dunn family want a "very clear timetabled structured plan to bring Anne Sacoolas back," their spokesperson Radd Seiger added - calling on Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab to "stand up to the US".

He told the programme that “It is no longer any good … that they raise it continually. That means nothing to the family."

Charlotte Charles, the mother of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn
AFP via Getty Images

Mr Seiger went on: “She needs to come back. Actions have consequences. This is one of the most egregious abuses of human rights America has ever committed on a British citizen, a British family. Where is the special relationship?

“We need a clear specific plan. If the US are not going to send her back what is the UK going to do with specificity to make sure this terrible wrong is righted?

“This is the United Kingdom’s opportunity, Mr Raab’s opportunity, to show the nation that he is going to fulfil his first duty, which is to safeguard and protect the lives of UK citizens. He needs to stand up to the US now.”

Mr Raab said that he was "on the family's side", adding that the Government has called for Ms Sacoolas to return but that ministers couldn't force the US to send her back to the UK.

He told the programme: “There’s a denial of justice here, there is an extradition request that is outstanding and we have called on Anne Sacoolas to return and our American partners to facilitate that, we’ve done that consistently throughout.”

Mr Raab added: “There’s no measures that I think we could credibly, realistically take which is somehow going to force the US or indeed Anne Sacoolas to comply with this.

“But I want to be realistic because I don’t want to raise expectations that are going to be dashed but we have at every level raised this.

“I’ve raised it, we’ve raised it in Washington, the Prime Minister has raised it with President Trump and we will continue to make clear we’re on the side of the family here, we think that she should return, she must return home, so that justice can be done.”

RAF Croughton, in Northamptonshire, near where Harry Dunn, 19, died when his motorbike was involved in a head-on collision in August last year
PA

Mr Dunn, 19, was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car outside a US military base in Northamptonshire on August 27 last year.

Ms Sacoolas, 43, the wife of a US intelligence official and a reported CIA operative, claimed diplomatic immunity following the crash and was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy.

An extradition request submitted by the Home Office for her was rejected by Mr Pompeo in January – a decision the State Department has said is “final”.

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