Nazir Afzal, former chief prosecutor for the north-west of England, is calling on the Metropolitan Police to conduct a new investigation into allegations that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre in London in the early 2000s.
The police have investigated the allegations several times, but have chosen not to proceed, citing that they mainly concerned activities outside the UK. According to Afzal, the public's confidence in the justice system is damaged by the fact that the investigation has been closed despite the serious allegations.
This week, King Charles made the decision to strip Prince Andrew of his title. He will now be styled by his real name, Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, without royal precedence. He had previously voluntarily renounced the title of Duke of York.
The British government also announced on Sunday that it will work to remove Prince Andrew's honorary title of vice admiral, his last remaining military rank. In 2022, Queen Elizabeth stripped him of his other military titles after he was sued by Virginia Giuffre.
The prince withdrew from his public duties in 2019 as a result of his friendship with the then-deceased American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and a high-profile interview on the BBC, in which he failed to convince the British of his innocence.
What do you think?