LONDON (NewsNation Now) — London’s top police official said Thursday that the city’s police department is reviewing its files but not opening an investigation of Britain’s Prince Andrew, who faces sexual assault allegations in a U.S. lawsuit.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said London police working with prosecutors had already reviewed the case twice before Virginia Giuffre, one of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s longtime accusers, sued Andrew, 61, in a U.S. federal court this week.
“As a result of what’s going on, I’ve asked my team to have another look at the material,” Dick told British radio station LBC. “No one is above the law.”
Giuffre’s lawsuit accuses the prince of sexually assaulting her in 2001, when she was 17 years old. Andrew, the third of Queen Elizabeth II’s four children, has repeatedly denied the allegations.
However, Jim Moret, chief correspondent for “Inside Edition” believes this case may not mean as much trouble for the prince as people think.
“This is not a criminal case. This is a civil case brought under a fairly recent New York law that affords alleged victims of sexual abuse a limited period of time to file a civil case.” said Moret. “The time period actually was supposed to run out on Aug.14, it was extended because of COVID. The issue is going to be to serve Prince Andrew, that’s not easily taken.”
While it may not spell out serious legal trouble, it will cause trouble within the royal family, said Moret.
“This is perceived as a very serious, very serious problem for the royal family — certainly to their image, certainly toward Prince Andrew, who stepped back from all of his royal duties a couple of years ago,” said Moret. “So he’s not going to be able to avoid a judgment in this case, evidence will be presented, this case will be heard. The best thing he could do would be to settle it.”
Royal watcher Hilary Fordwich believes the royal family’s recent retreat to their Balmoral estate could serve a purpose other than a normal family reunion.
“We now know that Prince Andrew was summoned to Balmoral, not just a casual visit. And Prince Charles has been heading up there also to discuss what they’re considering,” said Fordwich.