The Metropolitan Police are to take 'no further action' against Prince Andrew, the Queen's son who has been accused of sexually abusing an underage girl Virginia Giuffre (who at the time the alleged assault took place was seventeen years old).
Giuffre is currently suing Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, through a US civil lawsuit and the Prince has consistently denied all allegations, even taking part in a televised interview with journalist Emily Maitlis to do so. He did, however, admit to "letting the side down" due to his longstanding friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a multi-millionaire convicted sex offender. Epstein is accused of luring in and trafficking Giuffre as a young girl.
Now, according to new reports from the BBC, The Met have closed their own investigation (prompted by Giuffre) into the royal and have also confirmed that a review into allegations centred on Epstein's ex-partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, is complete.
Maxwell, who stands accused of trafficking, grooming and abusing women and girls, is currently in jail awaiting trial. The Met said it had "reviewed information [concerning Maxwell] passed to us by a media organisation [Channel 4] in June" and again, decided that "no further action will be taken".
The Met previously ruled out commencing an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein, but earlier this summer, Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said the force would review the decision, adding that "no one is above the law".
However, over the weekend the Met said: "As a matter of procedure, MPS officers reviewed a document released in August 2021 as part of a US civil action. This review has concluded and we are taking no further action."
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The force have also added that it will continue to liaise with other law enforcement agencies who are leading the investigation into matters associated with Epstein and assist them in any way possible.
Sigrid McCawley, a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner who represent Giuffre, told press, "Given the clear and compelling evidence implicating Prince Andrew, the Metropolitan Police should reopen its investigation and stand by their statement that no one is above the law."
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
