British Police Release Statement Regarding Investigation Into Former Prince Andrew's Potential "Criminal Acts"
The Metropolitan Police Service launched an inquiry into allegations that Andrew used a taxpayer-funded protection officer to investigate Virginia Giuffre.
The ongoing scandals surrounding Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and his friendship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have resulted in his titles and honors being stripped by his brother, King Charles. Now British police have released a new statement regarding any potential criminal wrongdoing on Andrew's part after claims he used a royal bodyguard to investigate his late accuser, Virginia Giuffre.
The former prince was accused of sexually assaulting Giuffre when she was 17, and settled the case out of court in March 2022. But in October, the Mail on Sunday reported that Andrew asked one of his police protection officers to find out information on Giuffre in 2011. The report also alleged that Andrew dug up her social security number and date of birth to give to the officer.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) launched an investigation into the matter at the time, and issued a press release on Saturday, December 13 with an update on their findings.
“Following recent reporting suggesting that Mr. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor asked his Met Police close protection officer to carry out checks on Ms Giuffre in 2011, the MPS has carried out a further assessment,” central specialist crime commander Ella Marriott wrote. “This assessment has not revealed any additional evidence of criminal acts or misconduct.”
Virginia Giuffre is seen holding a photo of herself as a teenager.
“To date, we have not received any additional evidence that would support reopening the investigation,” her statement concluded. “In the absence of any further information, we will be taking no further action.”
In October, the BBC reported that the MPS had launched an investigation due to the claims about Andrew investigating his accuser. "We are aware of media reporting and are actively looking into the claims made," a police representative told the BBC at the time.
A series of leaked emails—including the claims about Andrew's protection officer investigating Giuffre—led to King Charles removing his brother's titles and honors and evicting him from his home, Royal Lodge, on October 30.
Giuffre, who died by suicide this year, filed a lawsuit against the former Duke of York in 2021 claiming that she was forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions when she was trafficked by Epstein. The former prince has consistently denied the accusations, and the two settled out of court for an undisclosed sum.
According to the Daily Mail, Giuffre's family is "deeply disappointed" with the result of the investigation by the MPS. "While we have hailed the U.K.'s overall handling of the case of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor previously, today we feel justice has not been served," they told the outlet.
