An
American woman who accused the convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein of
sex crimes has revealed new details of the night she says she was forced to
perform sex acts with Britain’s Prince Andrew.In her first UK
interview, Virginia Giuffre — previously known as Virginia Roberts —
told the BBC’s Panorama that when she was 17 years old she was trafficked by
Epstein and forced to have sex with his friends, including the Duke of York.
Giuffre also accused the prince, who has repeatedly denied the allegations, of
lying about their encounter and urged the British public to back her over
Andrew.”I’m calling BS on this, because that’s what it is,” she said. “He knows
what happened. I know what happened, and there’s only one of us telling the
truth, and I know that’s me,” she told the BBC.But Buckingham Palace denied her
allegations in a statement to CNN on Monday.”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,” they said.
A
photograph appearing to show Prince Andrew with Jeffrey Epstein’s accuser
Virginia Roberts Giuffre and, in the background, Ghislaine Maxwell.”It didn’t
happen.” Prince Andrew told the BBC last month. “…That couldn’t have happened
because the date that’s being suggested I was at home with the children,” he
said.Prince Andrew has vehemently denied all of Giuffre’s allegations. “I have
no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” he told the BBC in
November.Epstein, a convicted sex offender, died in August while awaiting trial
on new sex trafficking charges; the New York City medical examiner determined
he had died by suicide.Buckingham Palace said in response to the interview that
the Duke “unequivocally regrets his ill-judged association with Jeffrey
Epstein” and “deeply sympathizes with those affected who want some form of
closure.”The BBC spoke with Giuffre before Andrew was interviewed by the
broadcaster in November, when he said he did not recall meeting her and that he
“didn’t sweat at the time” because of a medical condition. During the
interview, the prince was also asked about a photo that appeared to show him
with his arm around Giuffre’s waist; he responded by saying he had “no
recollection of the photograph ever being taken” and suggested that the photo
could have been faked.
