An Exposition of Failure at the Foreign Office

“The view is that in these circumstances the suspect could and should have been arrested to assist the evidence gathering process.”

That is a shocking conclusion to hear and must be especially galling for Charlotte Charles, the mother of Harry Dunn, a 19-year-old who was killed while riding his motorcycle on a Northamptonshire road in 2019.

The suspect in question was Anne Sacoolas, an American diplomat who caused Dunn's death by driving on the wrong side of the road.

Sacoolas controversially left the UK 19 days later claiming diplomatic immunity and would never return despite pressure from British politicians and authorities. In 2022, she would finally face justice at the Old Bailey, where she appeared via video link in order to plead guilty to causing death by careless driving. She was given an 8-month prison sentence that was suspended for 12 months.

Now an independent review has criticised Northamptonshire Police's handling of the initial investigation.