Summary
A report found that the British Foreign Office did not handle the Harry Dunn case properly after he died in 2019. The office failed to quickly and fully inform Dunn's family and lost chances to influence the situation before the U.S. woman, Anne Sacoolas, left the UK. Recommendations were made to improve how such cases are managed in the future.
Key Facts
- Harry Dunn, a 19-year-old motorcyclist, died in August 2019 near a U.S. military base in the UK.
- Anne Sacoolas, a U.S. State Department employee, was driving the car that hit Dunn.
- Sacoolas had diplomatic immunity and left the UK soon after the incident.
- The Foreign Office was slow to inform Dunn's family and withheld information.
- Dame Anne Owers led the review, stating the case was not treated as a crisis.
- The review suggested improving communication with affected families and involving ministers earlier.
- Sacoolas pleaded guilty in 2022 to causing death by careless driving.
- A legal loophole that allowed Sacoolas to claim immunity was closed in 2020.
