The brother of the late Virginia Giuffre has criticised King Charles III for failing to meet with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse during his state visit to the United States. Sky Roberts made the remarks at a roundtable discussion hosted by California Democratic Representative Ro Khanna, who co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
“Survivors are here sitting with members of Congress, still fighting to be heard, still pushing for real accountability, while many of the powerful figures connected to these systems remain just out of reach, unable to acknowledge survivors face to face,” Roberts said. “You would expect this to be a moment for the king to give a message to the world that he stands with survivors.”
The roundtable, held ahead of King Charles's address to Congress on Tuesday, included Epstein survivors Sharlene Rochard and Danielle Bensky, as well as representatives from human rights and women's rights organisations. Khanna had previously written to the king urging him to meet with survivors privately during his visit.
A lawyer for the king and Queen Camilla responded, stating that Charles would not meet with Epstein's victims due to “ongoing police inquiries” in the UK. The letter added that the king was “unable to meet survivors or comment directly on the matters under inquiry”, but emphasised that the royal couple “have consistently made clear their support for all victims of abuse”.
The Epstein scandal has particularly affected the royal family due to the association between the king's younger brother, Prince Andrew, and Epstein. Giuffre alleged that Andrew sexually abused her after being trafficked by Epstein, claims he has repeatedly denied. In 2022, he settled a civil lawsuit with Giuffre without admitting wrongdoing, and has since been stripped of his royal titles and military roles.
Roberts described the king's decision not to meet survivors as a “missed opportunity”, echoing sentiments expressed earlier this week. The release of US Justice Department files has further intensified scrutiny of Andrew's links to Epstein, leading to his arrest in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office, which he denies. King Charles has said that “the law must take its course”.
