To think American diplomatic immunity...

[MT2017]

...should not apply here.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-49961679

What's worse is that she was advised to leave by the American Embassy!

At least the regular American workers and GIs stationed in the U.K. don’t be have diplomatic immunity.

It’s awful for the family who has lost their teenage son.

This case has made me so angry.
I’ve done a lot of reading on it over the weekend, I so feel for The Dunn’s having to deal with this on top.
There was some indication her husbands security was breached and the entire family was recalled to protect his identity - but let’s face it that’s been well and truly blown. Theory being she didn’t have a choice in the recall.

I hope she does the right thing, I understand there’s been protests at the base. But I doubt America will do the right thing, they couldn’t give a fuck about some poor lad.

I’d be interested to hear if and how it’s been reported in the US

There was an incident years ago where I used to live and the son of a diplomat got away with stabbing and killing a teen .
Murder and manslaughter should not be covered by this , it’s so wrong

@savekevin

I am sure it's elsewhere but definitely on CNN and the Washington Post (who I think have done a sympathetic story to the Dunn family). I pasted some above.

At least the regular American workers and GIs stationed in the U.K. don’t be have diplomatic immunity.

Even during WW2 they weren't subject to UK law. If they committed an offence it had to be dealt with by the US military.

I thought it was a well known fact that the US doesn't recognise foreign legal systems as a starting point ? Which is why it seems a little bit odd to want to jump into bed with them.

Although to balance things, the UK has refused to extradite a few people to the US in the past. But not under the cloak of diplomatic immunity.

I wonder if anyone remembers the parade of Libyan diplomats leaving the UK after the murder of Yvonne Fletcher ? So that's two countries we can group together: the US and Libya under Gaddafi. I wonder what other similarities we can find ?

@Teddybear45 She didn't murder a child. She drove on the wrong side of the road.

Diplomatic immunity shouldn't apply over this.

The PM can’t “sort this issue out” because it’s a UN convention that sets the rules.

He can refuse to recognise anymore US diplomats to the UK, for a start.

If he wanted.

But he doesn't. So he won't.

You can bet your life that had someone from an African country (with a watermelon smile ?) been involved in this tragedy, the response would have been very, very different.

I have to say, I am not in the least bit surprised they advised her to leave the country. That’s their policy. It is EXACTLY what our Government knew an American diplomat’s dependent would do in this circumstance. We can’t act all surprised when they do what they have always done.

Plus, we don’t know the details but it doesn’t sound like murder to me. Death by dangerous driving?

Kevinkline so it's acceptable to kill a teenager if you can't work out what side of the road to drive on? There would have been signage as she left the base pointing out which side she should have been on, and presumably she had driven there on the correct side of the road.

We can’t act all surprised when they do what they have always done.

But you would hope, as a parent herself, that she would have had some moral backbone and stayed to give evidence and the Dunn family some closure.

Harry's mum said they could have forgiven an error like being on the wrong side of the road but not leaving the country.

She murdered a child

No she didn't, don't be ridiculous. She caused an accident, in which someone was killed. Not "murder" and not a "child". A 19 year old on a motorbike.

These sorts of accidents happen all the time in Scotland, tourists not used to driving on the left pootle merrily along A roads on the right until they're head to head with a car and it's too late. There is no malicious intent.

But having said that, skipping the country is a bad move. She should come back and at least answer the police's questions.

America can waive the immunity if they so choose, making her face charges.

They can... but we all know they won’t.

But you would hope, as a parent herself, that she would have had some moral backbone and stayed to give evidence and the Dunn family some closure.

Honestly? I wouldn’t advise someone to do that in her shoes at all. She’s a US diplomat’s wife. She came to this country on the shared understanding of diplomatic immunity. The US might still prosecute her, but at least she would be prosecuted in her own soil, under their laws (which I believe are more lenient for this) and would serve any sentence in her own country.

We can’t sign up to these arrangements and then complain when they work as agreed. It’s disingenuous.

I can't see any chance whatsoever of her being returned to face trial.

The worst she will suffer is that her husband is unlikely to get another overseas diplomatic posting.
Sadly I don't think there's much point in pushing for her to face trial. I would however say that we should be insisting that any US base here drives on the left.

I didn't know the American embassy advised her to leave, where did you hear that op?

I would however say that we should be insisting that any US base here drives on the left.

Good luck with that.

To be fair to the Americans, they're only treating us as we spent over two centuries treating the rest of the world. Clearly we taught them well.

The boys family were on the BBC this morning. It was utterly heart breaking. IIRC his mum doesn't want the woman imprisoned as she has her own children. The family just want justice and answers.

She drove off the base for 400 yards on the wrong side of the main road in her big Volvo and smashed head on with his motorbike

Her child was in the passenger seat

She told the police she would stay in the country while they investigated. Then fled

It's outrageous

I wonder if we would waive diplomatic immunity in similar circumstances?

@ssd

Sky News reported that the alleged driver was advised to leave the UK by the American Embassy.

Apparently she has been fined in the US for driving without due care and attention on another occasion

I don’t think certain crimes should be excluded in diplomatic immunity. If this happens then there’s nothing to stop bogus charges being brought for political gain. That being said when the burden of proof is there (or admission of guilt) then the diplomat (or family’s) country should waive immunity.

Will this be the straw that breaks the camels back between US /UK??

Will this be the straw that breaks the camels back between US /UK??

No. Boris or Raab will have told their counterparts that BJ has to issue a statement condemning the decision for political reasons, but they knew the deal when they let her in. There will be no implications for the diplomatic relationship.