BRITAIN tells America its refusal to extradite a diplomat’s wife accused of killing a British teenager is a “denial of justice”.
Dominic Raab insisted the "UK would have acted differently" after Mike Pompeo, the US Secretary of State, refused an extradition request for the suspect, Anne Sacoolas, who has been charged with causing the death of Harry Dunn.
In a statement, the Foreign Secretary said the rejection "amounts to a denial of justice" and the Foreign Office believes Ms Sacoolas should return to the UK.
The 19-year-old victim's parents Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn were informed of Mr Pompeo's decision to refuse the request in a phone call with their local MP, Andrea Leadsom, the Business Secretary, on Thursday.
The teenager died when his motorbike crashed into a car outside RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire in August last year.
Mrs Sacoolas, 42, the wife of a US intelligence officer, claimed diplomatic immunity following the crash and was able to return to her home country, sparking an international controversy.
The Dunn family has said it is "not surprised" by the rejection but insisted it will "not be a battle the US government is going to win".
The Foreign Office maintains that the suspect had diplomatic immunity, which has been disputed by the family, but Mr Raab made clear he would look to "resolve the issue" surrounding any immunity given to staff at the base.
The Foreign Secretary said he expressed his disappointment at the decision to refuse the extradition request to Woody Johnson, the US ambassador, this morning.
In a statement, the US State Department said that at the time of the accident, and for the duration of her stay in the UK, the US citizen driver in this case had immunity from criminal jurisdiction.
A spokesman said if the US were to grant the UK's extradition request, it would render the invocation of diplomatic immunity null and void and would set an extraordinarily troubling precedent.
He described America as having a history of close law enforcement co-operation with the UK and said it valued that relationship.
He expressed the State Department's sincere condolences and sympathy to the Dunn family for the loss of their son.
Reacting to the extradition refusal, Mr Raab said: "I called the US Ambassador earlier to express the Government's disappointment about this decision.
"We feel this amounts to a denial of justice and we believe Anne Sacoolas should return to the UK. We are now urgently considering our options.
"I also explained the UK would have acted differently if this had been a UK diplomat serving in the US.”
The Secretary of State added: "I emphasised that work to improve road safety on and around the Croughton base must continue and the need to resolve the issue whereby family members at RAF Croughton are immune from criminal prosecution."
Lawyers acting on behalf of the Dunn family have said it is the first time in the 100-year history of the extradition treaty that such a request has been turned down by the US.
Mrs Leadsom, who represents South Northamptonshire, argued that the suspect charged with causing the teenager's death "should come back to the UK".
She tweeted: "I am deeply sorry that extradition has been refused. This was a tragic road accident where a much loved young man died. His family are heartbroken. The person who has been charged by the CPS should come back to the UK #Justiceforharry"
This morning the minister met with Ambassador Johnson, Colonel Bridget McNamara, the commander of RAF Croughton, and the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire Police at an undisclosed location.
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