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The Duke of York should apologise for his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a lawyer for the convicted sex offender’s accusers has said.
Spencer Kuvin, who represents several unnamed alleged victims, said “royalty has failed them”.
He called Prince Andrew’s interview with BBC Newsnight on Saturday “sad” and “depressing”.
The prince has stood by his decision to take part, despite critics describing it as a “car crash”.
On Monday, Mr Kuvin told the Today programme: “It was depressing that he [Prince Andrew] really did not acknowledge the breadth of his friendship with this despicable man and apologise.
“The mere fact that he was friends with a convicted sex offender and chose to continue his relationship with him – it just shows a lack of acknowledgement of the breadth of what this man [Epstein] did to these girls.”
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News Syndication
Prince Andrew said this meeting with Epstein in 2010 was to end their relationship
Prince Andrew told the BBC he never suspected Epstein’s criminal behaviour during visits to the US financier’s three homes.
But Mr Kuvin said he “did not think there was any way” the prince could have avoided seeing what was going on, “with young girls being shuttled in and out of those homes”.
Mr Kuvin said the focus of Epstein’s accusers had now turned to potential co-conspirators.
It has led to questions being asked about what role Epstein’s former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell, may have played in procuring underage girls for the financier.
Ms Maxwell denies any wrongdoing.
Prince Andrew is now facing renewed calls to tell US authorities about his friendship with Epstein – who, at the age of 66, took his own life while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking charges.
Lisa Bloom – who represents five other Epstein accusers – told the BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire programme: “I think he’s made things worse for himself in this interview and I think it’s more likely the authorities are going to want to speak to him now – and they should want to.”
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Virginia Roberts
The duke was pictured with his accuser in Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home in 2001
Gloria Allred – another lawyer, also representing one of Epstein’s accusers – told Good Morning Britain: “Now he’s been in the court of public opinion, he should testify to the FBI.”
Meanwhile, Labour’s shadow trade secretary, Barry Gardiner, said Prince Andrew should do whatever he can to help Epstein’s victims.
He said: “By saying what he knows of the time that he spent with his former friend, can only be the right thing to do.”
It comes as the prince continues to face heavy criticism for the interview, which many commentators branded a PR disaster.
Lawyer Lisa Bloom has also questioned why Prince Andrew did not apologise about his friendship with Epstein
In it, Prince Andrew “categorically” denied having any sexual contact with Virginia Giuffre, known at the time as Virginia Roberts.
The first occasion, she said, took place when she was aged 17.
People close to Prince Andrew said he wanted to address the issues head-on and did so with “honesty and humility” in speaking to BBC Newsnight.
In a lengthy interview, which UK viewers can watch in full on BBC iPlayer or on YouTube elsewhere in the world, the prince said that:
- On the date Virginia Giuffre says he had sex with her – 10 March, 2001, he had taken his daughter to Pizza Express in Woking for a party before spending the night at home
- He dismissed claims he was sweating profusely because he had a “peculiar medical condition” meaning he cannot sweat, caused by an overdose of adrenaline in the Falklands War
- He had commissioned investigations into whether a photograph of him with Ms Giuffre had been faked, but they were inconclusive
- Speaking out about his relationship with the financier had become almost “a mental health issue” for him
- He would testify under oath about his relationship with Ms Giuffre if “push came to shove”, and his lawyers advised him to
- He was unaware of an arrest warrant against Epstein when he invited the financier to Princess Beatrice’s 18th birthday party at Windsor Castle
- He did not regret his friendship with Epstein because of “the opportunities I was given to learn” from him about trade and business
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