Daily Record

Epstein victim: I was told to have sex with prince

Epstein ‘slave’ speaks out in first TV interview since the pervert’s suicide in prison

- BY CHRISTOPHE­R BUCKTIN

ONE of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims claims that Prince Andrew plied her with alcohol before she was forced into having sex with him, in her first interview since the paedophile died.

Virginia Giuffre was just 17 when she was allegedly “trafficked” to the royal.

She said of the prince: “He was an abuser. He was a participan­t.”

She claims that Epstein’s British “fixer”, Ghislaine Maxwell, told her after a night out in London with Andrew: “I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein.”

Virginia alleges that the Duke of York, then 41, bought her alcohol at a club, knowing that she was underage.

She spoke out yesterday for the first time since US financier Epstein took his own life aged 66 in a jail in New York while he was awaiting trial for child sex traffickin­g charges.

Virginia, now 35 – then known as Virginia Roberts – recalled how she was flown to London, where she was pictured with the prince inside the home of Maxwell, Epstein’s alleged “madam”.

Buckingham Palace yesterday repeated its previous statement over the allegation­s. A spokesman said: “It is emphatical­ly denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationsh­ip with Virginia Roberts.

“Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation.”

Virginia spoke to US network NBC along with five of Epstein’s other victims, including Brit Anouska de Georgiou.

Discussing a night in March 2001 – the first of three times she claims she had sex with Andrew – Virginia said she was taken to Tramp, an exclusive club in Mayfair, central London. She said: “The

first time in London, I was so young. Ghislaine woke me up in the morning and said, ‘You’re gonna meet a prince today.’ I didn’t know at that point that I was going to be trafficked to that prince.

“That night, Prince Andrew came to her house in London. We went out to club Tramp. Prince Andrew got me alcohol, I’m pretty sure it was vodka. “Prince Andrew was like, ‘Let’s dance together’, and I was like, ‘OK’.

“We leave club Tramp and I hop in the car with Ghislaine and Jeffrey. And Ghislaine says, ‘He’s coming back to the house and I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein’. I couldn’t believe it.”

Virginia has previously alleged in US court papers that, on returning from the club, she had sex with the prince in a bedroom and bathroom in Maxwell’s home.

She also wrote about the night in her diary, revealing how he played a guessing game about her age before giving “endless compliment­s about my blossoming figure”. Virginia wrote: “They Anouska on NBC spoke kindly of his daughters… [and] the conversati­on turned to me next, starting with Ghislaine playing the guess my age game, which was one of her favourites among her morally impaired friends. He [Andrew] guessed 17 and Ghislaine chuckled, ‘She’ll be too old soon’.” Virginia added that, at dinner, “the prince’s attention towards me amplified… making eye contact at every given chance and concentrat­ing at my plunging V-neck top.” Speaking of their time at the club, Virginia said

He’s coming back to the house. I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein GHISLAINE MAXWELL ALLEGEDLY TELLS VIRGINIA

that Andrew was “the most incredibly hideous dancer I had ever seen and not to mention how embarrassi­ng it was to have to be the one he was smashing pelvics with, even if he was a prince.

“We only stayed at the club for a little over an hour before His Highness was dripping from sweat and ready to embark to another quieter setting.”

Recalling the alleged sex, Virginia said: “He wasn’t rude or anything about it. He said thank you and some kind of soft sentiments like that and left. I just couldn’t believe it – I couldn’t believe even royalty were involved.”

She claims that Epstein paid her £12,000 the following day. Father-oftwo Andrew strongly denies Virginia’s claims. Last month, he sought to downplay his friendship with Epstein, who he had partied with on several occasions, including in New York, the US Virgin Islands and London.

The prince also entertaine­d Epstein at Sandringha­m and Balmoral.

In the statement, Andrew said he met Epstein in 1999 but saw him “infrequent­ly and probably no more than only once or twice a year”.

While the Duke admits he “stayed in a number” of Epstein’s various homes, he claims that “at no stage during the limited time I spent with

him did I see, witness or suspect” any criminal behaviour.

Andrew continued to spend time with Epstein after he pled guilty to procuring teenagers for prostituti­on in 2008 and got an 18-month jail term.

The prince sparked huge embarrassm­ent for the Palace after he was pictured in New York in 2010 with Epstein, after his release from prison.

Virginia, now a mum of three who lives in Australia, spoke about the injustice she felt when Epstein took his own life in jail in New York.

She said: “It was such a shock to me. I was in mourning, not because the world lost a monster. I wasn’t mourning the death of this man. I was mourning the death of my ability to hold this man accountabl­e.”

Virginia spoke alongside actress Anouska, 42 – the first British woman to accuse Epstein.

Anouska said of meeting the other victims: “The only solace for me is that when a group of people who have experience­d trauma of this kind come together united against a common enemy – there is a very special bond between us all.

“The nature of this kind of abuse means you’re conditione­d to be silenced, isolated, secretive and shameful. Justice now is holding accountabl­e the perpetrato­rs that helped and participat­ed with him.”

Anouska, who starred in the 2004 remake of Alfie with Jude Law, has alleged in court papers that she was introduced to Epstein as a teenager, and the abuse lasted several years.

Epstein and Andrew were introduced by Maxwell, 57. She has been accused by several of Epstein’s alleged victims of recruiting underage girls.

Maxwell, daughter of late publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, has denied accusation­s, made by several women in civil suits, of aiding and participat­ing in Epstein’s sexual abuse.

 ??  ?? ACCUSER Virginia Giuffre
ACCUSER Virginia Giuffre
 ??  ?? ALLEGATION­S Prince Andrew
ALLEGATION­S Prince Andrew
 ??  ?? PARK STRIFE Duke & Epstein, New York, 2011
PARK STRIFE Duke & Epstein, New York, 2011
 ??  ??
 ??  ?? Virginia Giuffre speaks on NBC TV The duke, Virginia and Maxwell YESTERDAY 2001
Virginia Giuffre speaks on NBC TV The duke, Virginia and Maxwell YESTERDAY 2001

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