Sunday People

Now step up and help us, Andrew

Epstein ‘rape’ victim’s plea to royal

- By Patrick Hill

She has identified him as potentiall­y an

eyewitness

PRINCE Andrew was last night urged to keep a promise he made to help victims of sex traffickin­g – by appearing in court as a witness in a rape case.

Caroline Kaufman, 28, claims Andrew was staying at the New York mansion of his twisted late pal Jeffrey Epstein when the billionair­e financier attacked her.

The assault allegedly happened during the Duke of York’s visit to convicted paedophile Epstein in December 2010, when they were infamously pictured together in the city’s Central Park.

Caroline’s lawyer, Spencer Kuvin, told the Sunday People: “Our client was attending an event that was at the Epstein mansion in New York. At that event was

Prince Andrew. She has identified him as being there. He is potentiall­y an eyewitness who can identify the fact she was in the home along with others.”

Weeks ago Andrew, 62, made an undisclose­d payout, believed to be £12million, to Virginia Giuffre, 38, who accused him of sexual assaults when she was 17. The royal always denied her claims.

But when he settled the US civil court case, he issued a statement pledging “to demonstrat­e regret for his associatio­n with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex traffickin­g and by supporting its victims.”

Florida-based lawyer Mr Kuvin, whose client is suing Epstein’s estate for £385million, said: “We would appeal to

Andrew to reflect on the statement he made. He is on record saying he wants to fight the evils of sex traffickin­g and to support its victims.

“We would expect him to be true to his word and help Caroline, a victim of Andrew’s one-time friends, Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.”

Caroline, 17 at the time of the alleged offence, says she was invited to Epstein’s home by an associate for a “modelling interview”.

She claims she was escorted to a massage room by an older woman she believes to be Maxwell, 60.

The daughter of disgraced media tycoon Robert Maxwell is in a New York jail awaiting sentencing after being convicted in December of

supplying under-age girls for depraved Epstein. Caroline claims Andrew was at the mansion but there is no suggestion that he was involved.

Mr Kuvin said: “She was met by Ghislaine Maxwell, who said she would take her to her boss, and she gave Caroline a bikini to put on.

“She was then escorted into a massage room where Epstein was naked on a massage table.

“Epstein got off the table threw her against the table, and began to rape her.

“She was screaming for help but no one came. Maxwell told her Epstein was a powerful man and if she said anything, he would kill her and her family.”

Epstein, 66, was found dead in his New York jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-traffickin­g charges. A spokesman for Andrew declined to comment.

feedback@people.co.uk

 ?? ?? TRUSTING: Caroline when she was a teenager
APPEAL: Lawyer Kuvin
NO COMMENT: Prince Andrew
PICTURE:JAEDONNELL­Y/NEWSLICENS­ING.CO.UK INFAMOUS: Andrew’s NY stroll with Epstein
TRUSTING: Caroline when she was a teenager APPEAL: Lawyer Kuvin NO COMMENT: Prince Andrew PICTURE:JAEDONNELL­Y/NEWSLICENS­ING.CO.UK INFAMOUS: Andrew’s NY stroll with Epstein

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