Being guilty and facing legal consequences for it are two entirely different things. It’s nice to have diplomatic immunity but you still need to face your neighbors once in a while. That can create a tricky dilemma. Like the one faced by Anne Sacoolas. The path has been cleared legally for her to face trial, if she wants.
Guilty and she knows it
Americans drive on the right hand side of the road but they don’t do that in England. Anne Sacoolas was driving on the wrong side of the road when she killed 19-year-old Harry Dunn in August 2019.
Because she is married to Jonathan Sacoolas, “a CIA operative living at the United States Air Force listening station at RAF Croughton,” she is untouchable, guilty or not. She “claimed diplomatic immunity and fled to the U.S.”
Anne Sacoolas knows she’s guilty. She “does not dispute that she was negligent and admits driving on the wrong side of the road at the time of the crash.” There just isn’t anything anyone can do about it. Her hubby’s a diplomatic spook so kiss off.
Even so, British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been exploring some unusual options. He just announced that “the path is now clear for a virtual trial.”
Everybody knows she’s guilty but all their attempts at extradition were “declined by U.S. authorities.” Of course, “the incident has sparked ongoing diplomatic tensions between the two countries.”
She may be untouchable but it looks horrible for Uncle Sam to simply let her get away with it. They tried to toss the young man’s family a bone by suggesting that “she could carry out some form of community service in America.”
Do the right thing
Just because the Imperial Palace won’t play along with the scheme is no reason not to set up the U.K. end of the project. Raab told the BBC that “the US has not agreed to the extradition, but the path is clear for the legal authorities in the UK to approach Anne Sacoolas’ lawyers.”
They hope to harass them with a major guilt trip until Sacoolas agrees to do the right thing and plead guilty. The palace says go for it, they won’t stand in the way.
The big idea is to “see whether some kind of virtual trial or process could allow some accountability and some solace and some justice for the Dunn family.” When Boris Johnson had a chance to chat with Joe Biden at the G7, he buttonholed His Wisdom about the case. Biden expressed a “great deal of sympathy” for the young man killed while riding his motorcycle.
Despite the accused obviously being guilty, Biden can’t just wave his ball point scepter and force Sacoolas to stand trial. A Downing Street spokesperson said the “tragic” issue was raised with Biden and said Johnson “reiterated” that the UK “wants to see justice for the family.”
Dunn’s mother Charlotte Charles declares how “incredibly grateful” the family is that the case is being taken “so seriously as to be raised on the eve of the G7 meeting.” In the proposed virtual trial, “Sacoolas would be tried by a British court without ever having to leave the US.” They hope enough of the woman’s friends, neighbors, and co-workers will shame her into entering a guilty plea.
“Harry’s parents welcome the development that the CPS have now been cleared to engage with Mrs. Sacoolas’ lawyers to determine next steps in the criminal case. It is a huge development, and we are grateful to the politicians for making this possible. This campaign has never been about vengeance or retribution, but about accountability for the loss of their totally innocent son. That is what any of us would want and that is what must now be delivered.”
