Epstein Victims Intensify Calls for Andrew to Testify as Documents Reveal New Details
Victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein are demanding that Prince Andrew provide testimony about their relationship, following the latest release of documents from the U.S. Justice Department's investigation. The pressure on Andrew, now known as Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor after being stripped of his royal titles, has escalated as new unsavoury details emerge about his connections with Epstein.
Legal Experts Doubt Voluntary Cooperation
Despite growing calls from U.S. congressmen, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and victims' lawyers, constitutional experts believe Andrew is unlikely to testify voluntarily. Craig Prescott, a monarchy expert at Royal Holloway, University of London, pointed to Andrew's disastrous 2019 BBC Newsnight interview as a cautionary precedent.
"If you view the Newsnight evidence as a precedent, then who knows what Andrew would say or how he would come across in what would be some very, very hostile questioning — far more hostile than he faced from Emily Maitlis," Prescott said. "It's very difficult to see how that is, in a sense, in the interests of Andrew to do that voluntarily."
New Documents Reveal Disturbing Connections
The recently released files include photographs appearing to show Andrew crouched over an unidentified woman, along with communications suggesting Epstein sought to arrange a date between Andrew and a 26-year-old Russian woman. The documents also reveal that Andrew offered Epstein dinner at Buckingham Palace, while his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson called Epstein a "legend" and "the brother I have always wished for" in emails.
Attorney Gloria Allred, representing many Epstein victims, emphasised Andrew's responsibility to assist investigators. "He's not the one who should decide whether he knows anything that could help in the investigation," Allred told the BBC. "I am saying it's not too late, and he does have information that he can share that may help them."
Previous Cooperation Attempts Failed
Andrew has demonstrated reluctance to engage with U.S. authorities previously. After stepping back from royal duties in 2019, he expressed willingness to help "any appropriate law enforcement agency" with the Epstein investigation. However, documents show that ten months of negotiations between his lawyers and federal prosecutors failed to secure his testimony.
His attorneys rejected proposals for direct interviews, suggesting written responses instead. By September 2020, prosecutors abandoned efforts for voluntary cooperation and considered using the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty to compel testimony through British courts, though there's no indication this occurred.
Mounting Consequences and Limited Incentives
Andrew's reputation has suffered significantly since the scandal emerged. Following the 2019 interview, he faced widespread criticism for his explanations about maintaining contact with Epstein after the financier's 2008 conviction and for showing little empathy towards victims. Last autumn, King Charles III removed Andrew's royal titles and privileges to protect the monarchy from further damage.
Additionally, Andrew has been ordered to vacate Royal Lodge, his 30-room Windsor residence. Lawyer Mark Stephens of Howard Kennedy noted Andrew has little to lose by ignoring testimony requests, as U.S. authorities would struggle to compel his appearance before Congress. "I would fully expect him to take the fifth, as Americans say, the privilege against self-incrimination," Stephens said.
The ongoing revelations continue to tarnish the royal family, with victims and their representatives maintaining that Andrew's testimony could provide crucial insights into Epstein's network and how he exploited young women to influence powerful associates.
