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BRITISH FOREIGN SECRETARY Dominic Raab has urged the woman allegedly responsible for the death of teenage motorcyclist Harry Dunn to “come back to the UK and cooperate with the criminal justice process”.
Raab’s words follow a meeting with the 19-year-old’s family, who said they had been given “hope” after a more “open and friendly” conversation today.
Raab urged 42-year-old US citizen Anne Sacoolas, who claimed diplomatic immunity after Harry’s death, to “do the right thing” if there is a charging decision by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).
The teenager was killed when his motorbike crashed into a car driven by Sacoolas, the wife of a UK-based US diplomat, outside RAF Croughton on 27 August.
The Foreign Secretary said: “We are united in our determination to get justice for Harry. The government will do everything it can. I also reaffirmed my commitment to conclude the review of the arrangements at RAF Croughton by the end of the year to ensure they cannot be used in this way again.
I appeal to Anne Sacoolas herself to do the right thing. If there is a charging decision from the Crown Prosecution Service, I urge her to come back to the United Kingdom and cooperate with the criminal justice process.
Written apology
Raab’s meeting with Harry’s family came after Chief Constable Nick Adderley of Northamptonshire Police said he had sent a written apology to the teenager’s parents after a “breakdown” in communication.
The police chief had been referring to a tweet he had made back in October, where he used the words “sad but predictable” in response to the news that Harry’s parents had launched legal action in the US – prompting widespread criticism from the family.
Harry’s family sat down with Adderley for “positive” clear-the-air talks after the originally calling for the police chief to resign.
Adderley told reporters that any perceived fallout had been a “total misunderstanding” – adding that certain tweets and conversations had been “completely misconstrued”.
The teenager’s mother Charlotte Charles did not attend either meeting after being left “utterly devastated” by watching footage of Sacoolas reversing out of driveway in Virginia while in the US.
Harry’s father Tim Dunn said the family was “shocked” to see Sacoolas driving, while Seiger commented on Raab’s reaction to the footage of her “getting on with her life”.
“Like the rest of us, he just shook his head, none of us can understand it, because it’s inexplicable,” Seiger said.
The family’s spokesman said the “warm” meeting with Raab had covered a range of issues, with the two sides agreeing to “improve” communication.
He said: “One of the things that came across loud and clear for us which hadn’t come across before is that both Andrea Leadsom (Business Secretary and MP for Northamptonshire South) and the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab would like this lady to come back too, and that’s not something that we had heard.”
Seiger added: “He shared with us that he needs to be very careful with his words and what he says, he doesn’t want to get hopes up.
But he assured us that he’s doing absolutely everything he can to give this family the justice that they need and deserve.
In November, Harry’s father travelled to Raab’s constituency in Esher and Walton to confront him over his handling of the case.
Dunn also urged the CPS to reach a decision on whether to charge Sacoolas to help give his family “closure … for grieving”.
A file of evidence was handed to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) on 1 November after Northamptonshire Police interviewed Sacoolas in the US.
Dunn added: “These two meetings today have given us hope and I just plead now for the CPS to please hurry up and make this charge, and then we can move on.”
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So what if he served 48 days , and so what if that was the deal made by the prosecutor. He drugged and raped a 13 year old girl ! Why would you want filth like that back in your Country, no matter how good his films are..
@Blarneykite: you’re literally defending a paedophile.
@Blarneykite: you must be deaf if you cannot hear the calls for Blair and Bush to be tried for war crimes, perhaps selectively so. Anyway, back to your defence of an admitted paedophile.
A predator
“Polanski – the only polish wanted in the USA without a valid visa lol”
While I despise him as a person, polish court was right not to extradite him to the us. US made balls of the investigation and charges and wanted to change it after he served what they deemed at first. Only US court fault. Then still interesting why she wanted withdraw her case from the court, being a victim it sounds weird, who knows what was really between them, maybe consensual sex that turned wrong when he said to her bye bye. (Not that’s right anyway to have sex with 13 years old).
@Tomasz Kuchnik: a 13 year old cannot legally consent to sexual intercourse in the US. Anymore vile excuses for Polanski?
@Tomasz Kuchnik: maybe she’s just sick of this following her around and would like closure. She is now living her life and maybe she has recovered and wants it all to go away and I have a lot of sympathy for that. It must be hard for her.
@Paul Fahey: cannot consent legally, but can consent informally… not? and why are you attacking me I said I despise the man, and just thought that’s one possibility…
@Tomasz Kuchnik: what exactly is “informal consent” by a 13 year old child to sexual intercourse? I find that a most disturbing comment, I really do.
@Paul Fahey: Paul ok I need to explain that to you as for some reason you don’t get it, in 90s in the US first sexual intercourse under 13 years of age have been reported by more than 10% of the teenagers. It has been decreasing since then. So in 70s when this happened, that percentage was likely even bigger than 10% although I have no source for it. How do you know she didn’t want to sleep with him as you seem totally rejecting that version? Rape accusation is oldest trick in a book. Now before you go on holy war with me – I’m not saying this is the case. I’m just interested why you don’t let think it could have been consensual from her side then. Himself as a grown up man should have known better and of course shouldn’t touch her either way.
@Tomasz Kuchnik: you are aware how old Polanski was at the time of these crimes aren’t you? He was not a 13 year old boy having “informal consent” sexual penetrative intercourse with a 13 year old girl. No, he was a 40+ year old man committing statutory rape on a 13 year old girl, consent does not come into it, formal or “informal”. If you think all the US 13 year olds you mention are losing their virginity to 40+ year old man, then you need help. You are defending and making excuses for a paedophile, let that sink in. You may think you are being clever with your words, but most normal people will find them quite disturbing.
Good. Horrible man.
He is a dirtbag.
Jesus Barny.. give it a rest.
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