Prince Andrew accused of deliberately avoiding FBI by Epstein victims’ lawyer
A spokesperson for the Duke of York says he has offered his assistance to the US 'on a number of occasions this year' but has received no response.
The lawyer for dozens of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims in the US has claimed Prince Andrew is ‘deliberately evading authorities’.
Brad Edwards represents 55 women who claim they were abused by the convicted paedophile who killed himself in jail last year.
He told Sky News that he believes the Duke of York has information that will help Epstein’s victims but that he has not yet taken up invitations to provide a statement about the disgraced financier.
Mr Edwards claimed he had personally invited Andrew ‘at least three times’ to share what he knows of Epstein but the royal ‘flat out refuses’.
A spokesperson for the Duke of York told Sky that he has offered his assistance to the US Department of Justice ‘on a number of occasions this year’ and has received no response.
‘A request from a commercial law firm is not and never will be the same as an official judicial process,’ a source close to Andrew’s legal team said.
Earlier today, another lawyer for victims, Gloria Allred, also accused the duke of ‘avoiding and evading’ authorities by not providing a statement after his former friend Ghislaine Maxwell appeared in court accused of facilitating Epstein’s sexual exploitation of underage girls.
Maxwell was arrested in New Hampshire on Thursday over allegations she helped Epstein, her former boyfriend, ‘identify, befriend and groom’ girls, including one as young as 14.
The pressure has been piling on Andrew to speak to investigators in the US after the death of Epstein last year while awaiting trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges.
In November, the Duke of York announced he would be stepping back from all of the organisations of which he is a patron after facing backlash for an interview he gave to the BBC’s Newsnight programme.
After the interview, the duke faced criticism for showing a lack of empathy towards the victims, as well as what was seen by many as a lack of remorse over his friendship with the late paedophile.
Alleged Epstein victim Virginia Giuffre claims she had under-age sex with the duke while on a trip to the UK with Epstein and Maxwell – which Andrew strenuously denies.
Ms Allred accused the duke of subjecting victims to a ‘torture test’ by not telling prosecutors what he knows. She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘He needs to do that. He needs to do it without delay. It is so traumatising and difficult for the victims not to know the truth.
‘And this kind of torture test that Prince Andrew is subjecting the victims to, like will he or won’t he give a statement, if he will, when?
‘More excuses, more delays, it really is painful for many of the victims. It’s just not fair.’
Andrew categorically denies he had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Ms Giuffre, while his lawyers have insisted the duke has repeatedly offered to provide a witness statement to the investigation.
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