London Police 'Taking No Further Action' Against Prince Andrew After Reviewing Sexual Abuse Claims

STEVE PARSONS/POOL/AFP via Getty Prince Andrew

London's Metropolitan Police will take no further action against Prince Andrew following an investigation into a sexual abuse lawsuit filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre in New York earlier this year.

Giuffre's lawsuit claims that Andrew forced her to have sex with him three separate times between 1999 and 2002 — accusations Queen Elizabeth's son, now 61, has consistently denied.

In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Aug. 9 when the lawsuit was first filed, Giuffre, 38, said in part, "I am 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."

After the London authorities looked into documents and evidence related to the U.S. court case, they decided not to move forward.

"As a matter of procedure MPS [Metropolitan Police Service] officers reviewed a document released in August 2021 as part of a U.S. civil action. This review has concluded and we are taking no further action," they said in a Monday statement, according to Reuters and CNN. "The Metropolitan Police Service continues to liaise with other law enforcement agencies who lead the investigation into matters related to Jeffrey Epstein."

A source close to Andrew tells PEOPLE, "It comes as no surprise that the Met Police have confirmed that, having reviewed the sex assault claims against the Duke for a third time, they are taking no further action. Despite pressure from the media and claims of new evidence, the Met have concluded that the claims are not sufficient to warrant any further investigation. The Duke has always vigorously maintained his innocence and continues to do so."

In a 2019 interview addressing the prince's relationship with disgraced financier Epstein and Giuffre's allegations against him, Andrew told the BBC: "I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever. It just never happened."

Following backlash from the interview, Andrew announced he would be "stepping back" from public duties.

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Alexander Koerner/Getty; Emily Michot/Miami Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Prince Andrew; Virginia Roberts Giuffre

Giuffre alleges she was forced to have sex with the royal three times between 1999 and 2002, in London, New York and on a private Caribbean island owned by Epstein, who died in August 2019 in prison.

Speaking specifically about Giuffre's claim that he danced with her at London's exclusive Tramp nightclub before allegedly having sex in a mansion in the Belgravia neighborhood, the duke said, "No, that couldn't have happened because the date that's being suggested I was at home with the children."

Andrew, who is father to Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, added, "I'd taken Beatrice to a Pizza Express in Woking for a party at I suppose sort of 4 or 5 in the afternoon. And then because the Duchess was away, we have a simple rule in the family that when one is away the other one is there. I was on terminal leave at the time from the Royal Navy so, therefore, I was at home."

When BBC Newsnight anchor Emily Maitlis raised the issue of a photo showing the royal with his arm around Giuffre's waist — thought to have been taken inside the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell on March 10, 2001, when Giuffre was 17 — the royal claimed he had no recollection of the encounter.

"I have absolutely no memory of that photograph ever being taken," Andrew told Maitlis, before questioning the authenticity of the picture itself because he's wearing his "traveling clothes" as opposed to his regular suit and tie. He even suggested that his left hand has been photoshopped onto Giuffre's side in the image.

"I don't remember that photograph ever being taken," he said at the time. "I don't remember going upstairs in the house because that photograph was taken upstairs and I am not entirely convinced that … I mean that is … that is what I would describe as me in that … in that picture but I can't … we can't be certain as to whether or not that's my hand on her whatever it is, left … left side."

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In her Aug. 9 statement, Giuffre said her attorney filed the suit against Andrew under the Child Victims Act, saying, "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."

If you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted, please contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) or go to rainn.org.