UK charges US diplomat's wife over teen's death in crash

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press


Jill Lawless, Associated Press
Updated 12:17 pm CST, Friday, December 20, 2019



Photo: David Mirzoeff, AP
IMAGE 1 OF 3
The family of Harry Dunn, from left, mother Charlotte Charles, stepfather Bruce Charles, family spokesman Radd Seiger, father Tim Dunn and stepmother Tracey Dunn speak to the media outside the Ministry Of Justice in London, Friday, Dec. 20, 2019. British prosecutors have charged the wife of an American diplomat over the death of a teenage motorcyclist in a road accident. British police say Harry Dunn died when he was hit by a car driven by Anne Sacoolas, whose husband was stationed at a U.S. military base in England. Sacoolas claimed diplomatic immunity and left Britain after the crash. (David Mirzoeff/PA via AP)


LONDON (AP) — An American diplomat's wife who left the U.K. after being involved in a road accident that killed a British teenager has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, British prosecutors said Friday.

The Crown Prosecution Service said it had begun extradition proceedings against Anne Sacoolas.

The decision to charge Sacoolas, who has claimed diplomatic immunity, has caused tensions between the U.K. and the United States. British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab welcomed the move but the State Department called it unhelpful.

British police say 19-year-old motorcycle rider Harry Dunn died in August when he was hit by a car driven by Sacoolas, whose husband was an intelligence officer at RAF Croughton, a military base in central England used by U.S. forces. Sacoolas claimed diplomatic immunity and left Britain after the crash.

Read more: https://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/UK-charges-US-diplomat-s-wife-over-teen-s-death-14921194.php

---

Anne Sacoolas

[Calista241]

1. It's almost impossible to extradite someone from the UK to the US.

Despite the treaties we have. They can often take years to work their way through the UK legal system. I sense a trade coming up, or at least some shenanigans.

[LisaL]

4. It's the other way around. She would have to be extradited from the US into the UK.

[keithbvadu2]

2. Have there been similar cases here in the US?

[Mc Mike]

3. The Rump admin is very busy looking into fake foreign 'crimes' committed by American citizens

in Ukraine; so they're too busy to look into real foreign crimes committed by American citizens (from the Rump admin), in the UK.

[Lucky Luciano]

5. Life in prison for this disgusting piece of shit.

[dware]

7. If she has diplomatic immunity,

then it ain't gonna happen, and I'll be willing to bet if the circumstances were reversed, Britain wouldn't extradite a British citizen either.

[Pachamama]

23. Neither her husband or her were Diplomats and didn't have Diplomatic Immunity

She claimed it falsely and not only fled the scene of the accident and then fled the UK, she cowardly claimed diplomatic immunity.

She was a housewife married to someone doing work for US in UK. The UK has stated that no proper diplomatic paperwork exists for her husband.

Only thing keeping her from being extradited will be some protection from the Impeached President Trump intervening.

Guess what will matter is how important her hubbies work was.

[dware]

24. According to the State Dept.

both her husband and her had diplomatic immunity.

But the U.S. State Department said Friday that “at the time the accident occurred, and for the duration of her stay in the U.K., the driver in this case had status that conferred diplomatic immunities."

She isn't going to be extradited to the UK and I highly doubt the British Govt will push the issue.

[Pachamama]

25. Her husband is a spook (yes, a spy) and was working at the listening station base in UK

You can refer to what IMpotus’s State Dept says, but I suggest you read Article 10, 39 and Article 41 of the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Immunity pertaining diplomatic immunity and see that this is not fact that she has diplomatic immunity.

Here is a good summary of those articles in the convention on Diplomatic Immunity:

Article 10: According to Article 10; the receiving country should be notified of any decision to leave, which neither Sacoolas nor embassy officials did.

Article 39: According to Article 39, the privileges of the embassy and its staff begin and end at their border. In other words, In returning to the U.S., (along with not notifying the UK government), Sacoolas has lost those rights and entitlements.

Under Article 41: Envoys and their dependents are expected to observe the laws of the receiving country. (Clearly she didn’t do that)

Finally, the US can waive the “privilege” should they choose to.

How do I know this shit? Because I am the kid of a former spook who lived abroad and had to learn these things and understand them.

Anne Sacoolas should not be protected by diplomatic immunity and is in addition to being guilty of manslaughter and running the scene - a despicable coward.

My guess is she was drunk at the time and that explains why she handled the matter this way. She had a perfectly good explanation and defense at the scene of the accident that as an American she made a mistake of driving on the wrong side of the road. Instead she ran and got out of town fast - why exactly?



Now she hides in US and tried to have IMpotus pay off the family for her killing their son.

She should be sent back to the UK and stand trial. A different administration wouldn’t be protecting her and would simply waive the immunity immediately.

But this is Trump Administration and this kind of behavior is apparently OK for them and they thought money makes it alright.

It doesn’t - and normally she would have faced short prison time or probation and community service. But everything she has done shows not only guilt but frankly no responsibility or remorse. She likes to say she is a mother and understands. If she wanted to be a good example to her kids, she should take responsibility for what she did and the consequences.

[Chemisse]

8. Why is she a disgusting piece of shit?

It doesn't really say in the article. Was she weaving around or doing something that caused him to be hit out of carelessness? Did she flee the scene?

[Lucky Luciano]

9. She fled the country claiming diplomatic immunity!

Even though she had the diplomatic card, there were supposed to be some consequences and she bailed and tried to maintain the secrecy of her identity. She showed no empathy to the family destroyed due to her negligence.

This was linked in a post below:
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/07/harry-dunn-parents-say-they-rejected-offer-of-a-cheque-from-trump

[dware]

10. What consequences?

If she has diplomatic immunity, which she does, then there is nothing the Brits can do to her unless the State Dept. lifts her diplomatic immunity, which isn't going to happen.

[Lucky Luciano]

11. ...and often these people get punished at home when it is egregious.

It was egregious in this case and she is pure scum and deserves any evil coming her way.

Why did she flee the country if she has no consequences?

If it was my son who was killed, I would probably hunt her down and take her out since I would have nothing to live for anymore anyway.

[dware]

12. Ah I get it now,

you would honor your son's memory by committing murder and spending the rest of your life in prison?

That's a brilliant strategy.

[Lucky Luciano]

13. I'm all in.

[dware]

14. Why not sue the person into the poor house?

The British parents can pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against her, she has no diplomatic immunity against a civil lawsuit.

But hey, if you think committing murder is the way to go, then good luck with that.

[Lucky Luciano]

15. There is no realistic recourse here. She got away with it.

I guess she will never set foot in England again.

[dware]

19. Only if she's declared persona non grata by the British Govt.

The prosecutor cannot arrest her without the State Dept. pulling her immunity or the approval of the British Govt. , although, I suspect that she'll not be returning to Britain.

[Chemisse]

16. Oh I see. She was driving on the wrong side of the road.

Probably vehicular manslaughter in this country. Certainly not life in prison. Maybe 7 or 10 years?

[Lucky Luciano]

17. Yes...but the callousness since then is just awful and truly contemptible.

[Chemisse]

21. It's a really sad situation for the boy's family.

But I can understand the driver's actions afterwards. It's hard to imagine anyone who is selfless enough to stay and face a near-certain prison sentence when they can leave the country and avoid one altogether. I surely would not stay. Of course I would not drive in a foreign country unless I thought I could adapt to the different road rules.

[dware]

22. She wouldn't be facing a prison sentence,

she has diplomatic immunity, the worse the British Govt could do is declare her persona non grata and boot her out of the country.

For her to face a prison sentence, the State Dept would have to revoke her immunity, which they've already said that's not going to happen.

[LisaL]

18. She was driving on the wrong side of the road.

[Skittles]

20. it would seem this was just a terrible accident

However, this lady disgraced herself and her country by not taking responsibility, and that has so increased the angst of the victim's parents. It is quite egregious.

[Polybius]

26. Life in prison for an accident?

This is not even drunk driving. You can murder someone and get 12 years.

[Lucky Luciano]

28. The complete abdication of responsibility is egregious.

Had she stayed behind and faced the family, admitted her grievous error and did something to atone, I wouldn't feel this way.

She chose the coldest, most heartless way out though. It is morally reprehensible and I guess I am sick of this trumpian selfishness.

[Polybius]

29. Why should she risk it?

She legally left the country. Not worth the risk to stay and potentially be found guilty.

[Lucky Luciano]

31. Sure...why not get away with it and thumb your nose at justice.

No wonder the world is going to hell.

[Polybius]

32. Staying and risking jail would not have been a smart thing to do

If this had happened in America, she would not have even been charged, unless it was drunk driving or she was going over 100.

[LisaL]

34. She was driving on the wrong side of the road.

Are you saying that if in US she drove on the wrong side of the road and killed a young guy, she wouldn't have been charged?
Really?

[Polybius]

37. And what country did she learn to drive in?

The US, just like the vast majority of the rest of the world that drives on the right side. It was a tragic, but honest mistake. You can't compare what would happen if she did it here. England drives on the opposite side of the road.

I had a friend that was in England for a time. When I asked him how it was driving on the wrong side of the road, he said he accidentally drove on the right side.

[LisaL]

38. If you are driving in a foreign country, you have to know and follow the driving laws of

that country. Otherwise, don't drive there.

[Polybius]

39. Absolutely

I'm just pointing out that it was likely a moment where she forgot. Not worth life in prison for a mistake.

[totodeinhere]

35. Don't you think that's an over reaction? I'm not sure about UK laws but in this

country vehicular manslaughter is not punishable with life in prison. I doubt if it is in the UK either.

[Progressive Jones]

6. A month and a half ago...

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/nov/07/harry-dunn-parents-say-they-rejected-offer-of-a-cheque-from-trump

[Polybius]

30. Th OP's post was from December 20th

Same day as posted.

[Progressive Jones]

33. no, the link I put in my post was a month and a half ago. Related. nt

[Polybius]

36. True

But this one was slightly updated.