My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Margaret Beckett) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
In 2006, 15 serious offences allegedly committed by people entitled to diplomatic immunity were drawn to the attention of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. “Serious Offences” are defined as offences that would, in certain circumstances, carry a penalty of 12 months’ or more imprisonment. Some 24,000 people are entitled to diplomatic immunity in the United Kingdom.
The table below lists those foreign missions whose diplomats allegedly committed serious offences and the type of offence from 2002-06.
2002 Assault Occasioning Actual Bodily Harm Nigeria 2 Child Abuse Morocco 1 Child Neglect Kazakhstan 1 Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol Kazakhstan 2 Russia 2 Ukraine 2 Azerbaijan 1 Commonwealth Secretariat 1 Germany 1 Ghana 1 Nigeria 1 Panama 1 Rwanda 1 Facilitating Illegal Immigration Germany 1 Murder Colombia 1 Rape Morocco 1 Public Order & Making False Declarations Greece 1 2003 Activities Inconsistent with Diplomatic Status (Bribery) Saudi Arabia 1 Driving under the Influence of Alcohol Algeria 1 Bolivia 1 Bulgaria 1 Commonwealth Secretariat 1 Italy 1 Kuwait 1 Mexico 1 *Other 1 Russia 1 Rwanda 1 Sierra Leone 1 Ukraine 1 Indecent Assault South Africa 1 Morocco 1 Possession of an Offensive Weapon Libya 1 2004 Arranging Sham Marriages Nigeria 1 Driving under the Influence of Alcohol Angola 1 Austria 1 Luxembourg 1 Mozambique 1 Serbia & Montenegro 1 Spain 1 Indecent Assault Congo 1 Saudi Arabia 1 Indecent Assault on Child Saudi Arabia 1 Robbery & Assault Angola 1 2005 Actual Bodily Harm Jordan 1 Assault (Domestic Violence) Saudi Arabia 1 Dangerous Driving Turkey 1 Driving under the Influence of Alcohol Angola 1 Egypt 1 Ghana 1 Lebanon 1 Peru 1 Russia 1 Saudi Arabia 1 Harassment Turkey 1 Theft (Shoplifting) Egypt 1 Equatorial Guinea 1 Zambia 1 Theft & Robbery (of Motor Vehicle, Driving without Insurance) South Africa 1 2006 Attempted Robbery South Africa 1 Deception (Going Equipped to Commit) Nigeria 1 Driving under the Influence of Alcohol Kazakhstan 2 Belarus 1 Côte d’Ivoire 1 Kuwait 1 Malawi 1 Oman 1 Saudi Arabia 1 South Africa 1 Driving without Insurance Pakistan 1 Failure to Stop for Police/Driving without Insurance & Licence Kazakhstan 1 Robbery South Africa 1 Theft (Obtaining Property by Deception) Ghana 1 * This name has been withheld because the number of diplomatic personnel in the mission concerned is so small that disclosure would lead to the identification of the individual concerned. This in turn would breach the data protection rights of that individual, in particular, the first data protection principle; namely, that personal data should be processed fairly. This is because the offences are only alleged to have been committed and have not been proven in a court of law. In these circumstances, Section 40(2) and (3) of the Freedom of Information Act confer an absolute exemption on disclosure of this information.