Epstein Survivor Calls for Royal Transparency
A survivor of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein has made an unprecedented call for Prince Andrew's daughters and former wife to face legal scrutiny over their knowledge of the royal's relationship with the disgraced financier. Marina Lacerda, identified as 'Minor-Victim 1' in Epstein's 2019 indictment, has demanded that Princess Beatrice, Princess Eugenie and Sarah Ferguson be subpoenaed to reveal what they knew about Andrew's connections with the sex offender.
Victim's Powerful Plea for Accountability
In an exclusive interview with 5 News, the 37-year-old survivor, who was just 14 when she first encountered Epstein, delivered a direct challenge to the former Duke of York. "I hope Andrew has the balls to face up to what he did," Ms Lacerda stated, urging him to "clear up your name" and take responsibility for any past wrongdoing.
The Brazilian-born survivor questioned what the royal had to fear, asking "What's the worst thing that could possibly happen now?" She emphasised his family connections, noting he has daughters who now have children of their own, suggesting this should motivate him towards honesty.
Legal Pressure Mounts on Royal Family
The call for transparency comes amidst growing pressure on Prince Andrew, who faced sexual abuse allegations from fellow Epstein survivor Virginia Giuffre. Ms Giuffre alleged she was trafficked and forced to have sex with Andrew on three occasions while she was a teenager. Although the royal reached an out-of-court settlement with Ms Giuffre in 2022 worth millions of pounds, he has consistently denied all allegations against him.
Tragically, Virginia Giuffre took her own life earlier this year at age 41, adding another layer of complexity to the ongoing scandal that has seen Andrew stripped of all his royal titles and facing eviction from his long-time Windsor home, Royal Lodge.
Pizza Express Alibi Under Scrutiny
Ms Lacerda specifically referenced Andrew's controversial 2019 Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis, where he claimed he couldn't have been with Ms Giuffre at the time she alleged because he was taking his daughter to a Pizza Express in Woking. "He said that he was having pizza with his daughters, right, if I'm not mistaken," Ms Lacerda noted, adding that "it would be nice to get some transparency there."
The survivor argued strongly for subpoenas against Andrew's family members, stating "It would be the right thing to do for them to get subpoenaed." She expressed hope that his daughters would speak truthfully, emphasising that "We need to stop protecting people because they are our family. We need to start protecting people that are getting hurt by your family."
Epstein's Chilling Control Revealed
Ms Lacerda shared harrowing details of her own experience with Epstein, revealing she met the financier in 2002 when she was recruited to give him a massage at his Manhattan home. As a young immigrant from Brazil working to support her family, she saw Epstein as someone who could help her achieve the American dream.
"I think after four or five months seeing him, he raped me and then I was locked in," she disclosed, describing the situation as "almost a mafia." Epstein allegedly boasted that he "owned the government, he owned the banks, he owned everybody" and used her immigrant status to maintain control, warning her about his power and influence.
The abuse continued for approximately three years until she was 17 or 18 years old, with Epstein regularly raping and abusing her during this period.
Political Pressure Intensifies
Ms Lacerda is not alone in seeking answers from the royal family. US lawmakers have also called for Prince Andrew to provide evidence to the House's Oversight Committee. Democratic Representative Ro Khanna recently stated outside the US Capitol that "Prince Andrew does need to come and testify at our oversight committee," suggesting this could be a bipartisan effort.
Meanwhile, another Epstein victim speaking anonymously challenged former President Donald Trump's dismissal of the scandal as a "Democratic hoax." The woman, making her first public comments, asserted that Trump must have known about Epstein's activities given their documented friendship and photographs together at his properties.
Any subpoena issued to members of the royal family by US lawmakers would represent an unprecedented legal move, potentially forcing unprecedented transparency about the connections between British royalty and one of the most notorious sex offenders in modern history.
