Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police commissioner, has stated that “no one is above the law” when questioned about sexual assault allegations against Prince Andrew. The comments come as Virginia Giuffre, who accuses the Duke of York of sexually abusing her while she was a minor, pursues a civil case in the United States.
Dick confirmed she has asked officers to review the decision not to formally investigate allegations linked to Jeffrey Epstein, the financier who died in prison after being arrested on sex trafficking charges. The Met previously concluded there was no evidence of a crime in the UK jurisdiction or that the alleged perpetrator was still alive.
“I’m aware that currently there is a lot more commentary in the media and an apparent civil court case going on in America,” Dick said. “We will, of course, again review our position. But, at the moment, there is no investigation.” She added that the force is “open to working with authorities from overseas.”
Giuffre’s civil suit, filed in a New York federal court, claims she was “lent out for sexual purposes” by Epstein, including when she was a minor. The document frequently mentions Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges and faces trial in November.
A source close to Prince Charles told The Times that the allegations cause “unwelcome reputational damage” to the monarchy and that the heir to the throne has “long ago concluded that it is probably an unsolvable problem.” A representative for Prince Andrew declined to comment, and Buckingham Palace said the matter is a private legal issue.
