Speaking at a hearing for the alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein in the wake of his death, Virginia Giuffre yesterday said that Prince Andrew ‘knows what he’s done’ and she urged him to ‘come clean’.
Giuffre has accused Epstein of sex abuse and has previously alleged that he forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17-years old.
In 2014, she stated that she was made to have sex with Prince Andrew by Epstein when she was 17, however a 2015 court case found her allegations ‘immaterial and impertinent’ and they were subsequently struck from a claim against Epstein.
Prince Andrew has always strongly denied the allegations, and released a statement on Saturday about his relationship with Epstein. He claims that he did not ‘see, witness or suspect any behavior of the sort that subsequently led to [Epstein’s] arrest and conviction’
‘I have said previously that it was a mistake and an error to see him after his release [from prison] in 2010 and I can only reiterate my regret that I was mistaken to think that what I thought I knew of him was evidently not the real person, given what we now know,’ he said in the statement.
‘His suicide has left many unanswered questions and I acknowledge and sympathize with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure,’ Prince Andrew added. ‘This is a difficult time for everyone involved and I am at a loss to be able to understand or explain Mr Epstein’s lifestyle. I deplore the exploitation of any human being and would not condone, participate in, or encourage any such behaviour.’
Giuffre’s allegations come alongside questions from her lawyer, Brad Edwards, who has requested to talk to Prince Andrew personally to ‘answer real questions that the victims have’.
‘With respect to Prince Andrew or anyone else who made statements, gratuitous statements, if anyone wants to come over here and talk with us, and answer real questions that the victims have, and that we have on their behalf, we welcome that invitation,’ he said, ‘I personally extended that invitation to Prince Andrew multiple times. Any time, we are ready, and we have a lot of questions for him.’
‘He knows what he’s done and he can attest to that,’ Giuffre said in a filmed press conference after the hearing, ‘He knows exactly what he’s done, and I hope he comes clean about it.’
The hearing took place after Epstein’s death – now ruled a suicide – put an end to his ongoing court case and left many of his alleged victims unable to have their day in court. Therefore, a judge decided to give the accusers an opportunity to speak publicly. Giuffre was one of nearly two dozen women who spoke during the proceedings.