British police will not take action against Prince Andrew over sexual assault claims

In August, London's Metropolitan Police force reviewed allegations connected to the late convicted sex offender and pedophile Epstein. Police chief Cressida Dick said at the time that "no one is above the law." Queen Elizabeth II's second son denied the allegations and said he never had sex with Giuffre. "It didn't happen," claimed Andrew.

In a statement late Sunday, the force said that its "review has concluded, and we are taking no further action." However, they continue to work with other law enforcement agencies leading the investigation into Epstein and his associates, reported Global News.

Andrew's legal representatives acknowledged the accuser formally served the prince with Giuffre's lawsuit in September. Under the suit, he must file responses to the claims by October 29.

Lawyers for Virginia Giuffre filed the lawsuit in Manhattan federal court, where she alleged Epstein, his onetime girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, and Andrew forced her to have sex with the prince. On the importance of her suit, Giuffre said it is "holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me."

"The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one's life by speaking out and demanding justice," said Giuffre, adding: "I did not come to this decision lightly."

"As a mother and a wife, my family comes first — and I know that this action will subject me to further attacks by Prince Andrew and his surrogates — but I knew if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down," she said.

Andrew claimed "no recollection" of meeting her and said there are "a number of things that are wrong" about Giuffre's account. He said, "I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened." But after confronting the allegations publicly, the prince quit his royal duties in August 2019.

According to the lawsuit, which sought unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, the prince abused Giuffre on multiple occasions when she was under the age of 18. During each of the alleged acts, Giuffre was given "express or implied threats" by Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Andrew to engage in sexual acts with the prince, reads the suit. Giuffre also claimed Maxwell recruited her at age 17 over two decades ago.

The suit said that she "feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying" the trio because of their "powerful connections, wealth, and authority."

According to Global News, "It also said that on one occasion, the prince sexually abused her in Maxwell's London home when Epstein, Maxwell and Andrew forced her to have sexual intercourse with the prince against her will. On another occasion, the prince sexually abused Giuffre in Epstein's New York mansion when Maxwell forced Giuffre and another victim to sit on Andrew's lap as he touched her, claimed the suit."

The lawsuit also alleged that Andrew sexually abused Giuffre on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands. The prince supposedly knew her age in communications with Epstein, and Maxwell claimed the suit, but he proceeded anyway "for the purpose of gratifying his sexual desires."

The lawsuit is per the Child Victims Act, a 2019 New York state law that empowers victims to make legal claims of abuse that occurred when they were children regardless of when or how long ago the alleged abuse occurred.