Prince Andrew named in Jeffrey Epstein's court documents, what does it mean for the Duke of York?
Newly released court documents tie Prince Andrew to Epstein's scandal, fueling fresh scrutiny over his connections.
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, is facing renewed pressure over his ties to the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, after new court documents were made public as part of a lawsuit related to Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
The documents, which cover about 900 pages, name Prince Andrew among more than 170 people who had some connection to Epstein, who pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2009 and killed himself in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The legal papers include allegations of sexual abuse by Prince Andrew, which he has vehemently denied.
One of Epstein’s accusers, Virginia Giuffre, claims that she was forced to have sex with the prince in London in 2001, when she was 17 years old. She filed and settled a civil lawsuit against him in 2022.
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Another accuser, Johanna Sjoberg, alleges that Prince Andrew groped her breast while sitting on a couch inside Epstein’s Manhattan apartment in 2001, along with Giuffre and a puppet that said “Prince Andrew” on it. Buckingham Palace has previously said her allegations are “categorically untrue”.
Prince Andrew has admitted that he stayed at Epstein’s house in 2010, after the financier’s conviction, but said it was a mistake and that he did not regret their entire friendship. He also said he had never met Giuffre and had no recollection of the photo that shows him with his arm around her waist.
Epstein list stroke a grim on Bill Clinton too
The newly released documents also name former US President Bill Clinton, who was a friend of Epstein and travelled on his private jet several times, but is not accused of any wrongdoing. Clinton has said he “knows nothing” about Epstein’s crimes and cut ties with him after his conviction.
The documents are part of a defamation lawsuit brought by Giuffre against Maxwell, who was Epstein’s girlfriend and alleged accomplice. Maxwell is currently in jail awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking and perjury, which she denies.
The release of the documents was ordered by New York Judge Loretta Preska, who said many of those named had already been identified by the media or in Maxwell’s criminal trial. She also ordered that some names remain redacted to protect the victims of sexual abuse.
More documents in the case are expected to be released in the coming days, which could shed more light on the extent of Epstein’s network of powerful and influential people.
