London police said on Friday that they had not launched the investigation demanded by anti-monarchists into Prince Andrew, who is cited in an American court document with a list of people with ties to financier Jeffrey Epstein, accused of sex crimes.
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“We are aware of the release of court documents relating to Jeffrey Epstein. As new and relevant information becomes known to us, we will assess it,” but at this stage “no investigation has been launched,” Scotland Yard said in a statement sent to AFP.
The publication by a New York judge of a list of names of contacts, acquaintances, relatives, victims or alleged accomplices of Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in prison in 2019, has postponed charges against the 63-year-old prince. One of the British newspapers and especially the tabloids are calling on the royal family to cut all ties with him.
On Thursday, anti-monarchy group Republic “made a report on the brother of King Charles III. to the police” and called on them to open an investigation into the Duke of York, who fell from grace following allegations of sexual abuse.
“It is clear from the document that a person in London was forced to have sex with Andrew while he was a minor,” Republic explained.
“If there are allegations, credible allegations, then of course they should be investigated,” Labor opposition leader Keir Starmer said in an interview on LBC radio on Friday.
The king's brother reached an amicable settlement in February 2022 with 40-year-old Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her in 2001 when she was 17 and that, in her opinion, she was under the influence of the American financier. He always denied the facts.
Following the fiasco of his BBC interview in which he expressed no sympathy for Epstein's victims, Prince Andrew was withdrawn from public life. Now he is stripped of his official role and can no longer use his title of Royal Highness.
However, he appears with the royal family at events that are considered private, such as the recent Christmas mass.
In October 2021, London police announced that they would not take any action after reviewing allegations made against the prince as part of the American civil case.