Foreign diplomats free to rape, rob and murder in UK

New figures released by the Foreign Office show that diplomats in this country allegedly committed 30 serious offences during the past two years. But because of their diplomatic status not one has been prosecuted.

Embassy staff from South Africa are accused of robbery, attempted robbery and car theft. A member of staff from Jordan is suspected of an assault causing actual bodily harm. And staff from Egypt, Equatorial Guinea and Zambia are accused of shoplifting. Two officials from teetotal Saudi Arabia are accused of drink-driving. A Nigerian is suspected of fraud.

But under the terms of the 1961 Vienna Convention foreign officials and their families and staff are protected from prosecution in their host country – effectively putting them above the law. Unless their home country agrees to waive their immunity from prosecution, there is nothing the British government can do except risk a diplomatic incident by ordering their expulsion.

The crime figures show that behind the tinted glass of the diplomatic limousine, drink-driving is commonplace, with 16 cases in the past two years alone.

Many diplomatic missions also display a cavalier attitude towards British driving regulations and taxes. Almost 5,500 parking tickets, speeding tickets and other “minor” traffic fines went unpaid by diplomatic staff last year.

Last year’s unpaid fines total almost £420,000 and a formal appeal by the Foreign Office recovered just £22,713. Saudi Arabia was the worst offender, clocking up a £30,000 bill for more than 300 motoring offences. Other countries clocking up more than 100 penalties last year included France, Germany, Russia, Afghanistan and China.

Foreign embassies are also reluctant to cough up the £8-a-day congestion charge. More than £4.5million is now owed in unpaid congestion charges and fines. The United States is the worst offender, owing almost £1.5million. London mayor Ken Livingstone caused controversy last year when he accused American Ambassador Robert Tuttle of being a “chiselling little crook” for not paying the charge.

Even though foreign embassies are usually based in expensive central London locations they have to pay just six per cent of their business rates bill to cover services such as street cleaning, fire services and lighting. But many refuse even to pay this.

Between them foreign diplomatic missions owe £821,000, with Algeria, Zimbabwe, Cameroon and Bangladesh the worst offenders.

In 1984 the then Tory government came under pressure to restrict diplomatic immunity in the wake of the shooting of WPC Yvonne Fletcher in the Libyan Embassy siege.

WPC Fletcher was allegedly shot with a gun smuggled in a diplomatic bag. In 2002 it took a personal intervention by Tony Blair to persuade the Colombian government to waive immunity against a diplomat accused of murdering a 23-year-old Britain.

Other crimes allegedly committed by diplomats in the past five years include rape, child abuse and people smuggling.

The Foreign Office, however,  insists Britain cannot unilaterally alter the terms of the Vienna Convention.