The British teen was killed in the United Kingdom in August.
December 20, 2019, 2:09 PM
5 min read
LONDON -- Anne Sacoolas, the wife of an American diplomat, has been formally charged in the death of British teenager Harry Dunn, the U.K.'s Crown Prosecution Service announced Friday.
Sacoolas is believed to have been driving the car that crashed into Dunn's motorcycle on a roadway in the village of Croughton, England, on the night of Aug. 27.
Sacoolas then fled to the United States claiming diplomatic immunity, which sparked a diplomatic rift between the U.S. and the U.K.
“Following the death of Harry Dunn in Northamptonshire, the Crown Prosecution Service has today authorized Northamptonshire Police to charge Anne Sacoolas with causing death by dangerous driving," Chief Crown Prosecutor Janine Smith said. “The director of public prosecutions has met with Harry Dunn’s family to explain the basis of the decision we have made following a thorough review of the evidence available."
A banner honors Harry Dunn who was struck and killed while riding his motorcycle from his home in Croughton, by a car coming from RAF Croughton airbase, near Brackley, England, Oct. 15, 2019. The drive of the vehicle is the wife of a U.S. diplomat.
A banner honors Harry Dunn who was struck and killed while riding his motorcycle from his home in Croughton, by a car coming from RAF Croughton airbase, near Brackley, England, Oct. 15, 2019. The drive of the vehicle is the wife of a U.S. diplomat.Paul Howard/Shutterstock, FILE
She added, “May I remind all concerned that criminal proceedings against Anne Sacoolas are now active and that she has a right to a fair trial. It is extremely important that there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice these proceedings.”
Floral tributes lay on the roadside near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, central England, Oct. 10, 2019, at the spot where British motorcyclist Harry Dunn was killed as he travelled along the B4031 on August 27.
Floral tributes lay on the roadside near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire, central England, Oct. 10, 2019, at the spot where British motorcyclist Harry Dunn was killed as he travelled along the B4031 on August 27.Lindsey Parnaby/AFP/Getty Images
The Home Office, the government body responsible for policing and internal affairs, will ultimately decide whether to issue the extradition request through formal diplomatic channels, the CPS said.
U.K. police traveled to the U.S. to interview Sacoolas, with President Donald Trump himself speaking out about the incident in October, describing it as a “terrible accident” while conceding it was a “very complex issue” due to Sacoolas’ claim of diplomatic immunity.
Harry Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles stands in front of a banner outside the Buckingham Palace at a demonstration during President Donald Trump's visit for the NATO summit, in London, Dec. 3, 2019.
Harry Dunn's mother Charlotte Charles stands in front of a banner outside the Buckingham Palace at a demonstration during President Donald Trump's visit for the NATO summit, in London, Dec. 3, 2019.Dylan Martinez/Reuters, FILE
Following Dunn's death and Sacoolas' departure, the British foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, commissioned a review of the immunity arrangements for U.S. personnel under the the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The review, which concluded Friday, said it is "considered the anomaly that family members of U.S. officers serving at the Annex at RAF Croughton have, under current arrangements between the U.K. and the U.S., greater protection from UK criminal jurisdiction than the officers themselves."
"On the basis of the review, I have instructed my officials to begin discussions with the U.S. on the most effective way to address this anomaly," Raab said in a written statement.
Sacoolas has issued a written apology to Dunn's family. The 19-year-old's mother, Charlotte Charles, described it as "not strong enough."
"I think she needs to just face what she's done," Charles told ABC News in October. "We're a normal family and we're not out for revenge."
The family met with Trump, but refused to meet with Sacoolas at the White House.
