LONDON – Britain will no longer offer immunity from criminal prosecution to the families of US personnel at a military base near where a teenager was killed by a car driven by the wife of a US diplomat.
The change, announced by Foreign Minister Dominic Raab on Wednesday, comes after intense lobbying by the family of 19-year-old Harry Dunn, who died after his motorcycle was hit by Anne Sacoolas, an American, near the base in the Croughton Annex, a British facility used by the United States – in August 2019.
The UK decision comes a day after Dunn’s death was raised in a meeting between Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who had previously called for Sacoolas to return to the country, and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who was doing a short trip to London.
“The United States immunity waiver from criminal jurisdiction is now expressly extended to family members of the United States staff in the Croughton Annex,” Raab said in a statement. “Allow the criminal prosecution of the members of the family of these personnel, in the event that these tragic circumstances arise again.”
Raab said the changes took effect on Monday, implying that they would not be retroactive.
Dunn’s mother, Charlotte Charles, welcomed the decision as a “big step forward” and said she would guarantee that a similar tragedy “will never happen to another family,” she told Britain’s Pennsylvania News Agency.
She said her son would be “proud” but promised to continue campaigning for Sacoolas to return to the UK.
The case sparked a transatlantic dispute between Washington and London over whether Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity against prosecution.
Dunn’s parents have asked Sacoolas to return to the UK to face a trial after she was accused in December of causing death for dangerous driving..
His lawyer previously said he will not voluntarily return to face jail for “a terrible but unintentional accident.”
The State Department also said Sacoolas was covered by diplomatic immunity and that he could not be extradited, in a move that caused friction with London. NBC News has yet to receive comment from the State Department on the latest UK rule change.
In October, Dunn’s family met with President Donald Trump at the White House to ask him to extradite Sacoolas. During the meeting, Trump dropped a “bomb” according to Dunn’s mother, revealing that Sacoolas was waiting to join the family in the next room. The family refused to meet her.
“We have deep sympathy for the Harry Dunn family. No family should have to experience what they have been through and I recognize that these changes will not bring Harry back,” said Raab.
He said he hoped the rule change would at least bring “a small measure of comfort” to the Dunn family.
