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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Harry Dunn's family are being exploited?

65 replies

XXcstatic · 14/10/2019 19:45

To be clear, I feel desperately sorry for his family and wish there was some way for them to get justice, but..

..there has never been the slightest chance of his alleged (accidental) killer being returned to the UK. No country would return the spouse of a member of their security services in these circumstances, but particularly not the US. It is therefore cruel and exploitative of the media and politicians to pretend to his family that 'raising the issue at high level' will make the slightest difference. It is wrong to give them false hope.

OP posts:
Roussette · 14/10/2019 21:30

If she doesn't willingly come back, I hope that means she can never travel to Europe again.

LoyaltyBonus · 14/10/2019 21:34

Yes, I've been saying this for a few days now.

The politicians, even Trump whilst carrying "that" note, pretended to be doing what they could whilst knowing they were going to do nothing, because they think it will be popular with the public. The press are loving it because the nation is talking about their stories and even worse that lawyer taking money for false hope.

londonrach · 14/10/2019 21:36

I disagree i think she will return. The story big now in uk and usa and her picture is out there. Everyone in usa must know now. Cant image she can do school run, shopping etc. No idea how she sleeps at night. Shes a mother and shes possibly killed another mothers child.

SleepyKat · 14/10/2019 21:43

I think the lawyer is a family friend who isn’t charging....but taking some money for costs?

Roussette · 14/10/2019 21:47

I don't think there's any 'possibly killed another mother's child' about it. Harry Dunn's mother today at the US press conference says there is a long piece of CCTV footage. (she said more than that, but it is very distressing, and I don't want to upset anyone)

SleepyKat · 14/10/2019 21:50

It’s big news now but if she keeps her head down maybe people in America will forget.

Maybe her friends/neighbours will have a lot of sympathy for her and be of the opinion like Trump that these things happen.

While the Majority of my sympathy lies with Harry’s family I do feel some sympathy for the driver. She could ordinarily be a decent, law abiding person who made a dreadful mistake. Yes, she hasn’t done the decent thing of facing up to it but in a panic of possibly facing a prison sentence and seeing a legal way out I think a lot of people would do the same.

Human factors is an interesting field of how/why people make mistakes. Is she getting blamed for what could essentially be a systems failure? It’s happened before, a UK coroner has warned of the dangers before but nothing was done. It’s only now that signs are being put outside such US bases reminding people. Maybe some responsibility lies with the fact this wasn’t done previously?

Roussette · 14/10/2019 21:55

I couldn't live with myself. I know I couldn't. I am no saint, I really am not, but I know I could not live with the guilt of not doing the right thing.

Are the US such incompetent drivers generally? Why do they have to have special signs outside their bases to remind them? My husband and I have driven in Europe over 2,500 miles this year and keep on the opposite side of the road. There are no signs telling us how to drive in other countries.

SaintEyning · 14/10/2019 21:58

Because they drive on the right inside the bases. Which is just the most idiotic thing.

mauvaisereputation · 14/10/2019 21:59

I don't think the UK authorities are exploiting them -- Raab basically told them that there was nothing he could do, then the family went and got their own legal advice. The UK don't want to push it too much with the States around Brexit.

SleepyKat · 14/10/2019 21:59

Actually when you get off the ferry in France certainly in some ports there are signs telling you to drive on the right.

AlexaAmbidextra · 14/10/2019 22:00

I predict this thread will be pulled at some stage. The last one about this case was deleted.

Nokeysnoentry · 14/10/2019 22:08

In their shoes, I would have to try and get the perpetrator extradited. Failing that, I’d want the whole world to know what they had done. Anne Sacoolas is responsible for a fatal car accident, and I sincerely do believe it was an accident. Her actions since the incident, however, have been cold, calculated and a clear attempt to evade any consequences.

Roussette · 14/10/2019 22:15

Because they drive on the right inside the bases

But they don't. I thought that was the case but I was corrected on that by someone in the know on another thread.

Every ferry port (have done them all!) has signs which side to drive on as you get off the ferry but that is IT. There are no reminders elsewhere. This is their place of work on a base, if they can't get their heads round which side to drive the minute they set foot in another country, they shouldn't be allowed to drive.

AlecTrevelyan006 · 14/10/2019 22:16

Interesting take on the story here from a chap called Craig Murray who worked for the FCO for 20 years. He claims the misinformation regarding this case is to cover up the mass spying activities of the NSA/GCHQ on USA/U.K. citizens.

www.craigmurray.org.uk/archives/2019/10/the-foreign-office-must-be-challenged-over-sacoolas-immunity/amp/?__twitter_impression=true

Greatnorthwoods · 14/10/2019 22:19

It’s big news now but if she keeps her head down maybe people in America will forget

As a Brit in the USA the only place I have seen this story is on British news sites and MN. It’s already been forgotten here

Roussette · 14/10/2019 22:23

But they had a live press conference broadcast on CBS, I have no idea what pull that news channel has. And they have more lined up

LushyMcLushFace · 14/10/2019 22:26

I'd have some sympathy for the driver IF she'd stuck around to face the consequences of her accident...but she didn't, she snuck back to the USA which I think is bloody disgraceful.

Littlemeadow123 · 14/10/2019 22:31

She's been named and shamed in US. The guilt over what happened and pressure from people both in UK and US might cause her to return of her own accord. The fact that she no longer has diplomatic immunity changes things too.

Greatnorthwoods · 14/10/2019 22:34

But they had a live press conference broadcast on CBS, I have no idea what pull that news channel has. And they have more lined up

Not aware of that, CBS is available in most states, however not what most people would normally watch.

donquixotedelamancha · 14/10/2019 22:38

I don’t think the plan is to get the US to extradite. I wonder if the plan is so that everyone she meets, her husband meets and her child meets knows her name and knows what she has done. And so to make her life so untenable that she returns to the U.K. voluntarily.

I think that's right. I don't think it has a great chance of working but I admire their courage and persistence.

PralineCookie · 14/10/2019 22:40

As a Brit in the USA the only place I have seen this story is on British news sites and MN. It’s already been forgotten here

It has been all over Reddit.

BeerandBiscuits · 16/10/2019 11:48

No, I don't think they're being exploited.
The whole situation needs to be fully investigated, not only the actual incident but also how it could have been prevented.
Trump said driving on the wrong side of the road is an easy mistake to make and he's done it himself. As if it can't be helped and we just have to accept that "these things happen".
The base should bear some of the responsibility for Harry's death, surely they have a responsibility to reduce the risk.
If there are already speed bumps, 20 mph limits etc we need to know why they didn't help in this situation and what else can be tried.

Samcro · 16/10/2019 11:52

on the news today it described the family meeting trump and him holding the mums hand.
whilst having the driver waiting in another room, the family did not know this. and have cameras ready.
if this is fact it is beyond sick.
the poor family have all my sympathy

BlueCornsihPixie · 16/10/2019 11:55

Personally I think even if she never returns, the parents doing what they are doing ensures as many people as possible know, and she cant forgetswhat she's done. It prevents her from just brushing it under the carpet

I have no sympathy for her. She killed someone and showed such disrespect for their life that she fled. If she had stuck around I probably would feel some sympathy

LoyaltyBonus · 16/10/2019 12:08

Did she flee or was she sent? On the basis that she was initially cooperating with police, it seems more likely that the US instructed her to return to me.

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