The mother of Harry Dunn has spoken of finding a measure of comfort after a scathing independent review laid bare significant failings by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in its handling of her son's death.
A Mother's Search for Answers
Charlotte Charles told the BBC that while there is "no closure" after losing a child, she could now "rest easier" knowing the truth had been exposed. The review, commissioned by former Foreign Secretary David Lammy and conducted by Dame Anne Owers, concluded that officials did not treat the fatal crash as a crisis and withheld critical information from Harry's family.
Harry Dunn, a 19-year-old motorcyclist, died in August 2019 after a collision near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire. The driver, Anne Sacoolas, a US state department employee, was driving on the wrong side of the road when she hit him. The US authorities asserted diplomatic immunity and flew Sacoolas and her family out of the UK 19 days later.
Systemic Failures and Missed Opportunities
The report identified a catalogue of errors. It found the FCDO's slow reaction meant the UK lost "opportunities to influence" the US government before Sacoolas departed. Dame Anne noted "failings and omissions" within the department.
While the FCDO's Protocol Directorate did object to Sacoolas leaving, a critical delay occurred. The Foreign Secretary's office was not directly informed until Monday, 16 September, after his weekend briefing box had closed. By that time, Sacoolas had already left the country the previous day.
Furthermore, the review revealed there was no direct contact from the FCDO to the Dunn family until 4 October. This contact only came on the eve of a Sky News interview that was set to reveal the scandal, when they were offered a meeting with the then Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab.
Feeling of Abandonment Confirmed
Ms Charles said the findings validated her family's long-held feelings of being abandoned by their own government in the aftermath of the tragedy. "The overall feeling was I felt justification of feeling abandoned in the early days," she stated. "They were horrifically dark times to feel so alone, not having your government back you."
She was particularly critical of Dominic Raab, describing him as "extremely rude" and "awful" during their meetings. She recalled him asking, "what do you expect me to do?"
"There was no confidence in our country and he was our foreign secretary," Ms Charles said. "So we came away from every meeting with him feeling totally and utterly let down, feeling like our country was so weak."
In December 2022, Anne Sacoolas appeared at the Old Bailey via video-link and pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving. She was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for 12 months, and was disqualified from driving for a year. Judge Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb acknowledged the "calm and dignified persistence" of Harry's parents in securing that outcome.
For Charlotte Charles, the independent review, while painful, brings a crucial assurance. "[There is] comfort in knowing that everyone has been spoken to and knowing that going forward things should change," she said.
