Latest news with #Croughton
BBC News
08-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Harry Dunn's family expecting a 'painful' government review
The spokesperson for the family of Harry Dunn has said he expects a government review into how the former Conservative government handled the case to be "painfully embarrassing".Mr Dunn, a 19-year-old motorcyclist, was hit by a car being driven on the wrong side of the road by Anne Sacoolas near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in left the country after the incident, with the US State Department claiming she had diplomatic immunity from Monday, the Foreign Office (FO) confirmed a review would be held to look into the handling of the case. The Conservatives, who were in government at the time, have been approached for comment. The review will be led by Dame Anne Owers, who will look at the actions of the FO between Mr Dunn's death on 27 August and the end of the pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving in 2022 and was given an eight-month suspended jail UK government allowed her to leave the country after the incident and, in the family's view, gave inappropriate advice on the issue of immunity. Speaking to BBC Radio Northampton's Annabel Amos, Radd Seiger said: "I think it will be painfully embarrassing for the then Tory government."We know the Foreign Office is a wonderful establishment that looks after British citizens all around the world, but what it isn't good at is helping people locally."I think [the review] is going to be a very revealing exercise. We want to do this constructively, we don't want to be destructive – we aren't asking for people to be held to account."We just want to make sure that if this ever happens again that the government puts its best foot forward and doesn't run away from the problem." Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who announced the review, said: "We are honouring the commitments we have made to [the Dunn family]."I am confident the review into how the case was handled by the previous government has the remit required to properly address the family's concerns and to ensure lessons are learned." The FO said the review's final report would be published in full, subject only to redactions relating to national security or personal will look at the role of the FO but not the actions of the US announcement came just over a week after an independent report criticised Northamptonshire Police, which apologised for its handling of the investigation. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
The Independent
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Foreign Office promise Dunn family publication of final review report
The Foreign Office have said the final report from a review into how the government handled the case of Harry Dunn will be published in full after his family raised concerns. Foreign Secretary David Lammy officially launched the independent review on Monday – saying it would 'ensure lessons are learned'. The Dunn family were heavily critical of the Foreign Office in 2019 after senior officials told the US government they should 'feel able' to put their son's killer Anne Sacoolas on the next flight home following a fatal road crash. The US state department asserted diplomatic immunity on behalf of Sacoolas – who left the UK 19 days after the incident outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August 2019. A parliamentary review, which will be led by Dame Anne Owers, will scrutinise the role of the Foreign Office in supporting the Dunn family following the crash, but will not look at the actions of the US government. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the report would be published in full, subject to redactions relating to national security or personal information. The findings will also be laid before Parliament alongside a written statement from Mr Lammy. Following the review's official launch, Dame Anne said: 'I believe it is crucially important that public authorities are ready to learn lessons from difficult and traumatic events, so they can reflect on and improve the way they work and communicate. 'This is something that I have been committed to in all the roles I have held. 'I am pleased to have been asked by the Foreign Secretary to carry out this work in the context of the tragic death of Harry Dunn, and to identify any lessons for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. 'I very much hope that this will provide some assurance to Harry's family.' Harry's mother, Charlotte Charles, alongside other family members, met with Mr Lammy on Wednesday following an invitation for him to 'hear the family's views and concerns'. She said: 'It is our sincere hope that her work will help ensure that no other family is ever treated in the way that ours was. 'This review is yet another step in our long journey towards ensuring that Harry's loss was not in vain and that the world is a better and safer place.' In his own statement, Mr Lammy said: 'I am confident the review into how the case was handled by the previous government has the remit required to properly address the family's concerns and to ensure lessons are learned. 'Having worked previously with Dame Anne Owers on the Lammy Review in 2017, I don't believe anyone is better qualified to undertake this important piece of work.'
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Foreign Office promise Dunn family publication of final review report
The Foreign Office have said the final report from a review into how the government handled the case of Harry Dunn will be published in full after his family raised concerns. Foreign Secretary David Lammy officially launched the independent review on Monday – saying it would 'ensure lessons are learned'. The Dunn family were heavily critical of the Foreign Office in 2019 after senior officials told the US government they should 'feel able' to put their son's killer Anne Sacoolas on the next flight home following a fatal road crash. The US state department asserted diplomatic immunity on behalf of Sacoolas – who left the UK 19 days after the incident outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August 2019. A parliamentary review, which will be led by Dame Anne Owers, will scrutinise the role of the Foreign Office in supporting the Dunn family following the crash, but will not look at the actions of the US government. The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said the report would be published in full, subject to redactions relating to national security or personal information. The findings will also be laid before Parliament alongside a written statement from Mr Lammy. Following the review's official launch, Dame Anne said: 'I believe it is crucially important that public authorities are ready to learn lessons from difficult and traumatic events, so they can reflect on and improve the way they work and communicate. 'This is something that I have been committed to in all the roles I have held. 'I am pleased to have been asked by the Foreign Secretary to carry out this work in the context of the tragic death of Harry Dunn, and to identify any lessons for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. 'I very much hope that this will provide some assurance to Harry's family.' Harry's mother, Charlotte Charles, alongside other family members, met with Mr Lammy on Wednesday following an invitation for him to 'hear the family's views and concerns'. She said: 'It is our sincere hope that her work will help ensure that no other family is ever treated in the way that ours was. 'This review is yet another step in our long journey towards ensuring that Harry's loss was not in vain and that the world is a better and safer place.' In his own statement, Mr Lammy said: 'I am confident the review into how the case was handled by the previous government has the remit required to properly address the family's concerns and to ensure lessons are learned. 'Having worked previously with Dame Anne Owers on the Lammy Review in 2017, I don't believe anyone is better qualified to undertake this important piece of work.'
The Independent
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Inquiry launched into government handling of Harry Dunn's death, Lammy announces
David Lammy has launched an independent inquiry into the way the Foreign Office officials handled the death of Harry Dunn in an accident involving a member of the US intelligence community. The 19-year-old was killed when a car driven by Anne Sacoolas hit his motorcycle near the exit to RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in 2019. Ms Sacoolas, who was the wife of a CIA operative working near the airbase, was allowed to leave the country with claims that she was covered by diplomatic immunity. Requests for extradition were initially rejected by the first Donald Trump administration, although the president met Dunn's parents. Sacoolas would later provide videolink evidence but did not return to the UK for trial because it was unlikely to result in a prison sentence. There was criticism over the way the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCDO) handled the case, and whether more could have been done to ensure Sacoolas returned to the UK. The review will be led by Dame Anne Owers DBE, who will examine actions taken by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in support of the family of Harry Dunn in the period between 27 August and the end of December 2019. Having promised to undertake a review while sitting as an opposition MP, Mr Lammy has met twice with family members since becoming foreign secretary and committed the government to learning lessons from the tragedy. He said: 'I have the deepest respect for the resolve Harry's family have shown since his tragic death and in launching this independent review, we are honouring the commitments we have made to them. 'I am confident the review into how the case was handled by the previous government has the remit required to properly address the family's concerns and to ensure lessons are learned. 'Having worked previously with Dame Anne Owers on the Lammy Review in 2017, I don't believe anyone is better qualified to undertake this important piece of work.' The mother of Harry Dunn, Charlotte Charles, said: 'We welcome today's formal announcement by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office that a full review into the handling of Harry's case will now take place. 'We now look forward to working with Dame Anne Owers and doing all we can to support her in this important task. It is our sincere hope that her work will help ensure that no other family is ever treated in the way that ours was. This review is yet another step in our long journey towards ensuring that Harry's loss was not in vain and that the World is a better and safer place.'
The Independent
02-07-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Dunn family raise concerns Foreign Office will try to ‘hide' final review report
The family of Harry Dunn have expressed concerns the Foreign Office will attempt to 'hide' the final report from a parliamentary review into the case following an eleventh hour invite to meet the Foreign Secretary. Harry's mother, Charlotte Charles, as well as other family members, are due to meet David Lammy on Wednesday following an invitation for him to 'hear the family's views and concerns'. The review is not set to scrutinise the role or actions of the US government, but will examine the support the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) offered the Dunn family after the teenager was killed by a former US state department employee in a road crash in 2019. The Dunn family spokesman Radd Seiger told FCDO officials they were concerned there was 'no explicit provision for the publication of the final report' in the review's proposed terms of reference. His words prompted an invitation to meet with Mr Lammy on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the review's official announcement, which is expected on Thursday. Mrs Charles said she was 'apprehensive' ahead of the meeting, adding: 'I won't accept anything less than a full, open and transparent process.' Mr Seiger told the PA news agency the family will 'have no part in any process that lacks transparency'. Anne Sacoolas, the American driver who killed Harry, had diplomatic immunity asserted on her behalf following the incident outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire before a senior Foreign Office official said the US government should 'feel able' to put her on the next flight home. Ahead of the meeting, Mr Seiger told PA: 'We are grateful to the Foreign Secretary for making time to meet us today. 'That said, it is not lost on us that the only reason we appear to have been called in is because we asked for only one basic and reasonable assurance – that Anne Owers' report will be published. 'That request appears to have put the cat amongst the pigeons ahead of the government formally announcing the inquiry tomorrow. 'The fact that it has prompted such an urgent response gives us real concern that publication of the report may not have been the Government's intention.' Mr Seiger continued: 'Although we will not get ahead of ourselves, if that proves to be the case, I can say categorically on behalf of the family that we will have no part in any process that lacks transparency. 'It would defeat the entire purpose of the inquiry and would represent a betrayal of everything Harry stood for and the brave fight the family put up on his behalf. 'We have always been grateful for David Lammy's support over the years. 'It must follow that Anne Owers' report, the first and only detailed look into those failures must be published. Without that, we cannot move forward. 'We owe it to Harry, to our public institutions, and to every future family who might find themselves in a similar nightmare.' Mrs Charles said any attempt by the Government to 'hide' the final report 'fills me with dread'. She told PA: 'I feel incredibly apprehensive going into this meeting. 'After everything we've been through, the idea that the Government might try to hide Anne Owers' report fills me with dread. 'We have never wanted anything more than the full truth and for lessons to be learned, not just for Harry, but to stop any other family from suffering like we have. 'I won't accept anything less than a full, open and transparent process.' In a statement, the FCDO said: 'The Foreign Secretary has always made clear his commitment to support Harry Dunn's family and learn lessons from this tragedy. 'It is right we brief the family first on any developments and will announce further details in due course.'
