Police investigating former prince Andrew will visit US to speak with accuser’s relatives | UK news
Detectives investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor will reportedly travel to the US to speak to the family of his accuser, Virginia Giuffre.
Thames Valley police are believed to want to speak to Giuffre’s brother and sister-in-law, Sky and Amanda Roberts, about allegations their sister was sexually assaulted by the former Duke of York. He denied the claims of Giuffre, who committed suicide at the age of 41 in April last year.
Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, a former British trade ambassador, was arrested in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office as part of an investigation launched after the mass publication of documents in the “Epstein files”. He was questioned and released on bail about allegations that he shared confidential material with convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Following his arrest, police appealed for witnesses to contact them if they believe they have information about allegations of sexual harassment, corruption, fraud or the sharing of confidential information regarding Mountbatten-Windsor.
Giuffre’s relatives have been in contact with detectives and have announced that British police officers will visit the US soon. The Times reported. There will be no formal meeting as they are not considered direct witnesses to the allegations. Thames Valley police have been contacted for comment.
The force is understood to be currently seeking files on the case from the Metropolitan police and officers are expected to speak to Mountbatten-Windsor’s former guard officers. Following the arrest, Giuffre’s family released the following statement: “Our broken hearts are relieved by the news that no one, not even the royal family, is above the law.”
Mountbatten-Windsor said in the infamous Newsnight interview that she did not remember meeting Giuffre, although there was a photo of Giuffre, then 17, working for Epstein, with her arms around her waist. He reached a financial settlement with Guiffre in 2022 reportedly worth around £12 million, without accepting any liability.
Thames Valley police are said to be considering allegations that Epstein sent another woman to England in 2010 to have sex with the then prince at the Royal Lodge, the house from which he was evicted by his brother King Charles earlier this year. The woman’s lawyer made a statement to police, but she was not interviewed, and there are reports that she decided not to file a formal complaint out of fear of loss of privacy and unwanted publicity, the Times reported.
Sky and Amanda Roberts said they would have a meeting with the new prime minister during their planned trip to the UK later this year.
The Met interviewed Giuffre in July 2015 after she filed a complaint alleging human trafficking for sexual exploitation by Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, who died in her New York jail cell in 2019. The force has not launched a full investigation, saying there is no allegation of criminal conduct against any citizens living in the UK and that any investigation into people smuggling would largely focus on activities outside the UK and perpetrators based abroad.
Mountbatten-Windsor has been contacted for comment.
