London’s Metropolitan Police have said that they will not take any action against His Royal Highness Prince Andrew, Duke of York, after reviewing the evidence against him from Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre.
Guiffre has claimed that when she was just 17-years-old she was trafficked and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew at properties owned by deceased paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in Manhattan, London, and Epstein’s notorious island in the Caribbean.
For his part, Prince Andrew has consistently denied having sex with Giuffre, saying in 2019: “It didn’t happen”.
After evidence was presented to the United Kingdom’s top police force from a Channel 4 exposé in June, the Met decided to reverse its earlier decision not to investigate the ninth in line to the British throne.
The top police chief in the country, Dame Cressida Dick, said at the time that “no one is above the law”.
However, on Sunday, the Met said per the BBC: “As a matter of procedure, MPS officers reviewed a document released in August 2021 as part of a U.S. civil action. This review has concluded and we are taking no further action.”
The Sunday Times reported that officers from Scotland Yard had interviewed Giuffre, however the Met refused to confirm if they had spoken to the alleged victim.
Commenting on the decision by the force to drop their inquiry into Prince Andrew, a source close to the Duke of York told the PA Media news agency: “It comes as no surprise that the Met police have confirmed that, having reviewed the sex assault claims against the duke for a third time, they are taking no further action.
“Despite pressure from the media and claims of new evidence, the Met have concluded that the claims are not sufficient to warrant any further investigation. The duke has always vigorously maintained his innocence and continues to do so.”
The London police force said in their statement that they will continue to cooperate with other law enforcement agencies in relation to probes surrounding Jeffrey Epstein.
Though he has avoided a criminal probe in Britain, Prince Andrew is still facing a civil lawsuit from Giuffre, with her lawyers successfully issuing him with legal papers notifying him of the New York-based suit after being accused of playing a “game of hide and seek behind palace walls” to avoid being served.
While it is unlikely that the British royal could be extradited to the United States, it has been suggested that his assets and property in America could be in jeopardy if he refuses to face the courts.
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