Prince Andrew’s failure to help with Epstein probe ‘raises MORE questions’, victims’ lawyer says
PRINCE Andrew's lack of cooperation with the FBI is a "slap in the face" for Jeffrey Epstein's victims and "raises more questions", their lawyers have said.
The Duke of York last year insisted he was "willing to help if required" with the investigation over his paedo pal Epstein.
But in a dramatic press conference yesterday, the FBI said they had contacted the royal's attorneys, requesting an interview, but had been provided "zero cooperation".
US lawyer Lisa Bloom, who is representing five of Epstein's alleged victims, today blasted the lack of assistance from the 59-year-old prince, while another lawyer representing Andrew's accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre said his failure to cooperate "raises even more questions".
Speaking to Sky News, Ms Bloom said: "He did an interview where he showed zero compassion for the victims and after the backlash he said 'no, I have compassion for the victims and to prove it I'm going to cooperate with law enforcement'.
"And now we find out he's shown zero cooperation.
"This is really a slap in the face to the victims, to the five who I represent, to the probably hundreds more who allege Jeffrey Epstein assaulted them.
"Why doesn't he want to cooperate?
"I think that's the question. What is he trying to hide, what is he afraid of."
It has since been reported the FBI had been trying to interview the under-fire royal since November.
It comes after Geoffrey Berman, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York, revealed the prince’s lack of cooperation during a dramatic press conference outside Epstein’s mansion.
FIND ANDY
He said: “The Southern District of New York and the FBI have contacted Prince Andrew’s attorneys and requested to interview Prince Andrew, and to date, Prince Andrew has provided zero cooperation.”
The top prosecutor said he was revealing the information because the prince “publicly offered, indeed in a press release, to cooperate with law enforcement investigating the crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein and his co-conspirators”.
Speaking at the press conference – held to promote a new law to make it easier for child sex abuse victims to sue – Mr Berman said the probe into Epstein’s network was continuing.
Mr Berman's explosive revelation sparked fury from those representing victims of sex beast Epstein – including Ms Roberts Giuffre.
The American mum-of-three, now 36, claims she was forced to have sex with the prince three times when she was a teenager, after being trafficked to him by Epstein.
ROYAL DUTIES?
IT'S been two months since Prince Andrew vowed he would help in the investigation against his paedo pal Jeffrey Epstein.
But the Duke of York was today thrown into the spotlight as the FBI revealed they had received "zero cooperation" from the Queen's second son.
So what has the 59-year-old royal been doing while US authorities say they were desperately trying to contact him?
Instead of helping the FBI, he seems to have found the time to jet off to Spain for luxury golfing breaks, go horse riding with the Queen, help Princess Beatrice plan her forthcoming wedding, attend royal dinners and enjoy Kate Middleton's birthday bash.
While Epstein victim Virginia Roberts begged him to come clean in August last year, the royal was pictured enjoying a round of golf at the exclusive Real Club Valderrama in Sotogrande, southern Spain.
Prince Andrew finally sat down to answer the mounting criticisms three months later in November - vowing in the Panorama interview that he was "willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency" in their investigations.
Yet he seems to have done everything but cooperate with the authorities.
In fact just two days later, stripped of his royal duties, he was seen riding with his mother, the Queen at Windsor.
The royal then kept a low profile - not conducting any official engagements since then.
Instead, the keen golfer has been apparently kept busy with family life with his daughter Princess Beatrice's engagement to Mapelli Mozzi.
However, the dad was not seen at the couple's engagement party in December.
Instead, he was only seen heading to Christmas lunch with the rest of the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace.
His schedule then saw him a week later attend the Sandringham church service with the Queen before joining the Royal Family celebrating Kate Middleton's 38th birthday.
The weekend just gone saw him busy with engagements - again spotted riding horses with friends on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
The royal has vehemently denied her claims.
Sigrid McCawley, who represents Ms Roberts Giuffre, said: "Prince Andrew should take most seriously the deeply held belief in this country that no one is above the law."
She added: "Prince Andrew's continued refusal to cooperate with the authorities after freely acknowledging that he would be prepared to answer enquiries raises even more questions about the role he played in the international sex trafficking ring Jeffrey Epstein and others operated."
Jack Scarola, another lawyer representing Ms Roberts Giuffre, told The Sun last night: “It is obvious that Prince Andrew is persisting in a pattern of non-cooperation which is now been going on for years.
“I would certainly believe that he should recognise his moral obligation to participate in the search for the truth.
“With all that the victims of Jeffrey Epstein have been through – over so many years – I would say that they expected nothing different.”
Speaking directly of Andrew’s accuser, he added: “I am sure that Virginia had no other expectations than Prince Andrew would refuse to voluntarily cooperate.”
Andrew clarified his intention to co-operate with the FBI following his disastrous interview with BBC’s Newsnight in November.
During the BBC interview, Andrew said he would have to consult with his lawyers before testifying under oath about his ties to Epstein.
But in a statement after the broadcast, he said: “Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”
FBI and federal prosecutors in Manhattan are trying to bring justice for dozens of Epstein’s victims – by going after his alleged accomplices.
Epstein, 66, killed himself in jail last year while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking allegations – following numerous bungled probes into his conduct.
Prosecutors had accused him of sexually exploiting dozens of women and girls in New York and Florida before he hanged himself.
Shortly after Epstein’s death, Mr Berman issued a statement vowing to continue the investigation into his co-conspirators.
They are now said to be zeroing in on Ghislaine Maxwell – a close friend of Andrew – who is alleged to have acted at Epstein’s ‘pimp’.
Maxwell – who is currently in hiding – has denied any wrongdoing.
Andrew was forced to quit as a frontline royal last year, following his car crash chat with Emily Maitlis on Newsnight.
During the interview, he suggested that a photograph showing him and Miss Roberts Giuffre together in the home of Maxwell was faked.
He said he had “no recollection” of meeting Ms Roberts Giuffre and claimed he was at a Pizza Express in Woking on one of the days they were meant to have had sex.
When asked whether he regretted continuing his friendship with Epstein, the prince said: “Do I regret the fact that he has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming? Yes.”
“Unbecoming?” Miss Maitlis replied. “He was a sex offender.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesman declined to comment on the FBI claims last night, but a source close to the prince said: “This issue is being dealt with by The Duke of York’s legal team”.