Harry Dunn's parents reject Trump's offer to meet son's killer after being 'ambushed' during White House visit
Harry Dunn's parents, Charlotte Charles and Tim Dunn, say they were "ambushed" when they went to meet President Donald Trump in the White House and were informed that Anne Sacoolas, the wife of the US diplomat responsible for their son's death, was in the next room.
The case caught international attention after Sacoolas killed Harry in the UK last month while driving on the wrong side of the road and then fled to the US on a state-sponsored private jet. She has since refused to return to the UK where she faces charges of death by dangerous driving and has claimed diplomatic immunity.
After talks between the two nations did not turn up an acceptable solution, Charlotte and Tim had flown to the US with the hope of convincing Trump to see their side of the story better. They did end up getting their meeting, but it wasn't without its drama.
Speaking about being suddenly informed by Trump that Sacoolas was in the next room if they wanted to talk to her, Charlotte told Good Morning Britain, "We'd considered they might spring that on us. We were still shocked that they actually did. It's not really very fair."
She said that she and Tim "were a bit shocked" when Trump made the offer as it wasn't "appropriate to meet her without therapists and mediators," but that she did end up coming out of her conversation with the president feeling hopeful.
"I spoke directly to Mr. Trump for a good few minutes," she revealed. "He did seem sincere, he didn't try to interrupt me or cut me off. At the end of the meeting, it was him who took my hand and I squeezed it very tight. I said, 'You need to see, if this was your son, you'd be doing the same thing.' He said, 'Yes, yes, I would,' and I said, 'So please, please, do the right thing. Just try.' He squeezed my hand back and said he would 'try to push from another angle.'"
"But if I'm totally honest, I don't hold out too much hope that she's going to be returned to us in the UK," she later added.
Despite it being announced that Sacoolas no longer had diplomatic immunity because she had absconded, the family's lawyer Radd Seiger said she most likely will not return to the UK.
"I think the family feel a little ambushed to say the least and disappointed they made the effort to go all the way down there and all the way back up with really no further progress towards achieving the closure that they were so desperately seeking," Seiger added.
He revealed that he ended the talks after Trump said she was in the next room and his national security adviser Robert O'Brien declared loudly that "she's not coming back."
Tim, however, said he felt his ex-wife had gotten through to Trump. "Charlotte was so strong—I was so proud," he said. "Mr. Trump was listening, I don't think he dared interrupt her. I like to think he's an honorable man and that he will keep his promise to try to another way to move things forward."