The US woman accused of killing British teenager Harry Dunn through reckless driving will finally stand trial in a UK court — via video link.
Dunn’s mother, Charlotte Charles, told the PA news agency that she and her family were feeling “very emotional” on hearing the news that Sacoolas would face justice.
"My family and I are feeling very emotional and overwhelmed, having just learned the news that Mrs. Sacoolas is now to face our justice system," Charles said. "It is all that we asked for following Harry’s death."
Sacoolas, the wife of CIA agent Jonathan Sacoolas, is alleged to have been driving on the wrong side of the road on August 27, 2019, when she struck head-on 19-year-old Dunn who was riding his motorcycle in the correct lane. She had just left the RAF Croughton airbase in Nottinghamshire, where her husband worked at a US Air Force listening post.
She escaped prosecution by fleeing to her home country 19 days after the incident, claiming diplomatic immunity. The US has since refused to extradite her to face trial in the UK despite the spurious grounds of her claim.
Dunn's family has fought numerous legal battles to have Sacoolas face trial, going so far as to appeal to former US President Donald Trump, and his successor, US President Joe Biden, to intervene. Family spokesperson Radd Seiger seized on revelations that the suspect was also a CIA agent.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) announced late Monday that the trial would begin on January 19 2022 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, with Sacoolas understood to be appearing via video link.
“While the challenges and complexity of this case are well known, we remain committed to securing justice in this matter," a CPS spokesman said.
“Anne Sacoolas has a right to a fair trial," he added. "It is extremely important there should be no reporting, commentary or sharing of information online which could in any way prejudice any proceedings."
At the UN General Assembly in New York in September, new British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss spoke with her US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken about "delivering justice for Harry's family".