Source: Titanic Belfast

Prince Andrew has been named in US court papers by a woman who claims she was forced to have sex with him when under age. Buckingham Palace has ¡°emphatically denied¡± the allegations.

The claims were made in court papers as part of a case against the US government over a plea bargain it struck with Jeffrey Epstein, a former friend of Prince Andrew. Mr Epstein was sentenced to 18 months in prison in 2008 for soliciting a minor for prostitution.

Professor Cryan, the Huddersfield vice-chancellor, was interviewed on BBC Radio 4¡¯s Today programme this morning, having written a letter to The Times after the newspaper argued in a leader column that Prince Andrew had ¡°tried and failed¡± to find a role.

¡°One of the things we teach our students is to speak out when you see something¡¯s wrong,¡± said Professor Cryan.

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Today presenter Mishal Husain asked about suggestions in the Times leader that Prince Andrew lacked a role. Professor Cryan answered: ¡°That¡¯s not the individual I see.¡±

He argued that ¡°based on the work he¡¯s done up here in Huddersfield¡±, Prince Andrew has ¡°pushed the apprenticeship agenda¡± and had also ¡°visited a primary school to encourage pupils to develop their coding skills¡±.

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Professor Cryan continued that ¡°the Duke plays a very important role¡±, focused on ¡°education, skills, entrepreneurship and science and engineering¡±.

Asked by Ms Husain whether he would like to see Prince Andrew ¡°speak out himself in his own defence¡± after Buckingham Palace issued denials of the underage sex claims, Professor Cryan answered: ¡°What more can you say when there¡¯s an absolute emphatic denial of all these ridiculous allegations.¡±

Ms Husain also asked whether there were questions about Prince Andrew¡¯s choice of friends, given that Mr Epstein had ¡°served time in prison for soliciting a minor for prostitution¡±.

¡°I think what I¡¯d say is we all make mistakes,¡± Professor Cryan answered. ¡°The Duke actually acknowledged in 2011 that that friendship was actually a mistake and he apologised for it.¡±

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john.morgan@tesglobal.com