'The pain of his absence never fades': Harry Dunn's family pay tribute on sixth anniversary of tragic death

Harry, 19, died in 2019 when a car driven by American Anne Sacoolas – who was on the wrong side of the road – hit his motorbike outside RAF Croughton. Sacoolas later fled the UK, claiming diplomatic immunity. After a lengthy legal and diplomatic battle, she appeared before a UK court in December 2022 and received a suspended sentence for causing death by careless driving.

Posting on social media six years to the day that Harry died, the family said their “lives were shattered when we lost our beautiful Harry”.

"Not a moment goes by when we don’t think of him; his laughter, his kindness, his plans for the future. The pain of his absence never fades; we have simply learned to live alongside it,” the statement said.

“While nothing can ever bring Harry back, our family’s fight for justice and accountability continues. Over these six years, we have faced challenge after challenge, but we have refused to be silenced. We have stood up not just for Harry, but for the principle that no family should ever endure what we have been through,” the statement added.

Harry’s mother, Charlotte Charles, from Charlton near Brackley, was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours list earlier this year for her services to road safety.

The award honours her determined campaign for justice following Harry’s death, which triggered international headlines, diplomatic tensions, and changes to British and international law.

The family statement praised the support they had received and vowed to continue lobbying the Government to ensure all lessons are learned.

“We remain deeply grateful to everyone who has stood with us; our friends, our supporters, and the wider public who have kept Harry’s memory alive and demanded answers with us. Your compassion gives us strength.

“As we mark this painful anniversary, we call once again on those in power to ensure that lessons are truly learned and we look forward to working with Dame Anne Owers as she undertakes her inquiry into how the Foreign Office handled Harry’s case. We intend to make sure that no other family is left to suffer the same heartbreak and mistreatment that we did, and no other young life is cut short so needlessly and avoidably.

“Harry was loved beyond measure and he will always be at the heart of everything we do. We miss him more than words can ever express.”

The family’s adviser, Radd Seiger, added his tribute on social media.

He said: "While anniversaries are always difficult, the truth is that for his family there is no day in the year that hurts any less than another. Harry’s absence is felt just as deeply on any ordinary day in the year as it is on these anniversary days. It is maybe more difficult however to block out the pain in the lead up to them and on the day itself.

“Not a moment passes, when those of us who were fortunate enough to know him, don’t think about him, miss him, and wish he were still here with us.”

In June, Northamptonshire Police apologised to the family of Harry after an independent review found serious failings in how the force handled the investigation.