OPINION: Can diplomats get away with murder?
By: Sam Burrows
"The government must have a responsibility to the law," says Burrows
On the 27th of August in Northamptonshire, 19-year-old Harry Dunn was hit head-on by a car travelling on the wrong side of the road. He died of his injuries.
The driver, Anne Sacoolas was charged with “death by dangerous driving” and a possible 14-year prison sentence. However, she will likely never serve a single one of those years, years that Harry will never see.
How can this be possible?
The answer - diplomatic immunity. Around 23,000 people claim diplomatic immunity in the UK, meaning that they cannot be prosecuted under the laws of their host countries unless their own government revokes immunity.
Diplomatic immunity is necessary to protect from governments using diplomats as pawns in political games. Arrests on trumped-up charges, extortion, blackmail. However, Governments must have a responsibility to the law, to justice.
Why are claimants of diplomatic immunity not charged for the crimes they’ve committed in their home countries?
Harry’s mother Charlotte, called for the American government to waive immunity so that justice can prevail. They have refused. Changing the laws on diplomatic immunity is essential. We owe it to those who have suffered by its hand. We owe it to Harry.
Leave a comment or share the article on social media to continue the discussion.
​
Contact the writer!