Foreign Office failed to treat Harry Dunn’s death as crisis, damning report finds
‘Failures and omissions’ made over Harry Dunn’s death
- An independent review concluded that the Foreign Office made "failures and omissions" in its handling of the case involving Anne Sacoolas, who claimed diplomatic immunity after causing the death of Harry Dunn.
- The review, commissioned by David Lammy and conducted by Dame Anne Owers, found that opportunities to influence the US were lost and the case was not treated with sufficient urgency.
- Dame Anne Owers' report highlighted that the then Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, should have been involved much earlier and recommended an "immediate surge of resources" for future cases involving exceptional circumstances like diplomatic immunity.
- Anne Sacoolas eventually pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving via video link in December 2022 and received an eight-month prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
- The government has accepted all 12 recommendations from the report, committing to learning lessons and ensuring families receive better support, and has since blocked US nationals from claiming immunity from criminal prosecution.