A major breakthrough has been announced in the hunt for the driver alleged to have killed 12-year-old Keaton Slater in a Coventry hit-and-run two years ago, with the suspect located in Latvia and authorities from both countries now working to secure his return to Britain.
Dolars Aleksanders is alleged to have been travelling at 80mph in a 30mph zone when he struck Keaton on Radford Road in June 2024. He fled the scene and left the country. He has now been located by Latvian authorities, and the Crown Prosecution Service is working with its Latvian counterparts to gather the evidence needed to begin extradition proceedings.
The prisoner transfer agreement
The development has been aided by a new prisoner transfer agreement between the UK and Latvia, signed by Justice Minister Jake Richards. While the agreement primarily concerns the transfer of serving prisoners rather than extradition of suspects, it represents an important step in the legal framework connecting the two countries’ justice systems and is expected to help facilitate Aleksanders’ return should legal proceedings progress as hoped.
Richards said: “Criminal justice cooperation with our partner countries is a vital part of keeping our citizens safe and ensuring criminals face justice. I was pleased to sign a new agreement with Latvia to improve prisoner transfers. Transfers free up capacity for domestic criminals to be thrown behind bars and save the taxpayer millions of pounds.”
The family’s wait for justice
Coventry MP Taiwo Owatemi, who has been working with the Slater family since Keaton’s death, welcomed the breakthrough but was candid about how long the family has had to wait. “Sadly, it has taken two long years, and justice should not have taken this long,” she said. “Keaton was doing the right thing. He was obeying the law, and no family should have to go through the emotional toll of two years to get justice for their loved one.”
She added: “For me, it is important that his family are able to grieve him and to give him the justice that he truly deserves.”
Road safety changes in Radford
Alongside the criminal justice proceedings, Owatemi has been working with the Slater family and Coventry City Council to deliver lasting improvements to road safety on Radford Road and the surrounding area. The council recently approved a package of new traffic calming measures following that work.
“I think there is a recognition that one child being killed on the road is one child too many, and so there have to be improvements,” Owatemi said. “This is about ensuring that they are improvements that look after the safety of our children. Every parent must have the confidence that when their child goes to school, they will come back home safely.”
The family has now been informed of the breakthrough. The CPS and Latvian authorities continue to work on the evidence needed to progress the case.
Leave a Reply