The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) in London says it will not take any “further action” in sexual abuse claims against Prince Andrew, according to a new report.
“Met officers made the decision to drop their investigation on Sunday, after reviewing several documents, including one relating to an ongoing US civil lawsuit concerning [Virginia] Giuffre, who alleges she was forced to have sex with the prince when she was 17 years old,” The Guardian reported.
The Sunday Times reported that Met officers had questioned Giuffre, who now lives in Australia, about the allegations she made against the prince, but it was unclear if they had taken a formal statement from her.
Fox News obtained a statement from the police that “only named Epstein, who was 66 when he killed himself in a federal jail in Manhattan in 2019 while in custody on sex trafficking charges.”
Prince Andrew palled around with Epstein for years, visiting his Manhattan penthouse, his Florida mansion, and his private island in the Caribbean. At one point, when the two were together in London, the prince was pictured with Guiffre.
“Police said in the statement that they were contacted in January 2015 by a third party concerning Epstein. About four months later, police said they were contacted by representatives of an individual who made “non-recent” sex-trafficking allegations against the rich financier and a British woman,” Fox reported.
“The statement said the department looked into claims about alleged sex trafficking in central London dating back to 2001, and determined that the probe would be largely focused outside the U.K.”
“Officers therefore concluded that the MPS was not the appropriate authority to conduct enquiries in these circumstances and, in November 2016, a decision was made that this matter would not proceed to a full criminal investigation,” the statement read.
But the case doesn’t end there. Guiffre in August filed a lawsuit against the royal in Manhattan federal court.
The alleged assault, she says, took place at the home of convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein when she was a “child.”
Giuffre, who is seeking unspecified damages in the suit, says the prince abused her at least three times while she was underage. “Each time, Giuffre alleges, she was instructed by either Epstein or his alleged cohort, Ghislaine Maxwell, to engage in sex acts with the Duke of York,” the New York Post reported.
“I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me,” Guiffre said in a statement. “The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice.”
“I did not come to this decision lightly,” she added. “As a mother and a wife, my family comes first — and I know that this action will subject me to further attacks by Prince Andrew and his surrogates — but I knew if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down.”
The Duke of York has denied the allegation, saying in 2019 that he had “no recollection” of ever meeting Giuffre — despite photographic evidence.
“I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened,” he said then. “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”