Jeffrey Epstein: Met Police to review decision not to investigate

Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his prison cell while awaiting trial for sex-trafficking charges

The Met Police will review its decision not to investigate whether Jeffrey Epstein committed crimes in London, Commissioner Cressida Dick has said.

The Met previously ruled out opening an investigation into Epstein, who killed himself in prison after he was charged with sex trafficking.

Dame Cressida said the force would review the decision after one of his accusers brought a civil court case against the Duke of York.

Prince Andrew denies all allegations.

Dame Cressida told LBC: "It's been reviewed twice before, we've worked closely with the CPS (Crown Prosecution Service). We are of course open to working with authorities overseas; we will give them every assistance if they ask us for anything within the law, obviously.

"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."

Virginia Giuffre, then Victoria Roberts, was pictured with Prince Andrew in London in 2001

In August 2019, US financier Epstein was found dead in his cell in New York's highly secure Metropolitan Correctional Center, prompting some to question whether he killed himself.

The month before, the 66-year-old had pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.

Previously, Epstein was accused of paying girls under the age of 18 to perform sex acts at his Manhattan and Florida mansions.

In a secret plea deal in 2008, he admitted soliciting prostitution from a minor and received an 18-month jail sentence. During this time, he was able to go on "work release" to his office for 12 hours a day, six days a week.

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Virginia Giuffre, one of Epstein's many accusers, alleges she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew three times between 2001 and 2002, when she was 17 years old.

Ms Giuffre says the abuse happened in London, New York and on Epstein's private island in the Caribbean.

On Monday, Ms Giuffre began legal proceedings against 61-year-old Prince Andrew. She alleges that he engaged in sexual acts without her consent, knowing how old she was and that she was a sex-trafficking victim.

In a Newsnight interview in November 2019, the prince said he had "no recollection" of meeting Ms Giuffre. He denies all allegations, maintaining there are "a number of things that are wrong" about her account.

Prince Andrew claims he flew to New York in 2010 to end his friendship with the multimillionaire financier

Speaking to LBC, Dame Cressida said the force had made the "right decision" in November 2019 by choosing not to open an investigation into Ms Giuffre's allegations.

At the time, the force concluded it was "not the appropriate authority" to investigate the matter.