Prince Andrew: ‘No one is above the law’, says Metropolitan Police chief amid sex abuse claims

The head of the Metropolitan Police has said “no one is above the law” when asked about sexual assault allegations made against Prince Andrew.

Dame Cressida Dick said the force had not opened an investigation into the Duke of York but a review is taking place.

She told LBC: “I am aware that currently there is a lot more commentary in the media and an apparent civil court case going on in America and we will of course, again, review our position – but at the moment there is no investigation.”

Dame Cressida added: “No one is above the law. It’s been reviewed twice before, we’ve worked closely with the CPS, we are of course open to working with authorities from overseas. We will give them every assistance if they ask us for anything within the law.

“As a result of what’s going on, I’ve asked my team to have another look at the material. No one is above the law.”

Prince Andrew is being sued in a New York court by Virginia Giuffre who claims he abused her when she was 17 years old – allegedly as part of the sex trafficking activities of Jeffrey Epstein. The duke has strenuously denied the allegations.

Ms Giuffre’s lawyer David Boies warned against anyone ignoring the US courts as he claimed the royal’s legal team had “stonewalled” appeals for information.

US authorities are said to be growing increasingly frustrated with Prince Andrew’s failure to cooperate with their probe into the network surrounding convicted sex offender Epstein, exacerbating tensions between Washington and London.

People familiar with authorities’ investigations into Epstein’s business affairs told The Independent the lack of information-sharing had caused diplomatic strain, with US law enforcement and diplomats raising the matter with their British counterparts.

Andrew stepped back from public duties following a 2019 BBC Newsnight interview in which he insisted he did not have sex with Ms Giuffre, now 38, and had no recollection of ever having met her.

The royal also suggested a photograph showing him with his arm around Ms Giuffre’s waist at Maxwell’s house may have been doctored, questioning whether it was his own hand in the image.

He received a backlash after the “car crash” interview and was heavily criticised for showing little empathy with Epstein’s victims.