Following the release of a new batch of investigation documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case, Marina Laserra, a survivor of sexual abuse by the convicted Jeffrey Epstein, has called for Prince Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to be tried in the United States.
In statements to The Guardian, Laserra, a Brazilian citizen currently residing in the United States, stated: “I think the first step the UK should take is to bring Mountbatten-Windsor to justice.” She also pointed out that the US government could have paid more attention to and investigated Virginia Giuffre’s allegations, but the case was neglected for too long, which she considered unacceptable.
Laserrra reported that she had not met Prince Andrew personally, but she is among a group of survivors who are demanding accountability for all those involved in Epstein’s network for trafficking women and girls. She stressed that justice requires the Prince to appear before the American judiciary to answer these charges, although she does not expect this to happen. She described ignoring such cases and marginalizing prominent figures suspected of involvement as “disgusting and unacceptable.”
The allegations against Prince Andrew date back to 2001, when Virginia Giuffre met the Prince; she was 17 years old, while he was 41.
Giuffre passed away last April after years of the Prince denying these allegations. After her death, her memoir, “Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice,” was published, in which she revealed that she had been exploited by Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell, stating that she was forced to have relationships with the Prince on two occasions in exchange for money.
Recent files released by the US Department of Justice revealed email correspondence between Mountbatten-Windsor and Maxwell, which show the Prince requesting to arrange meetings with “inappropriate friends,” while Maxwell was looking for girls described as “friendly and discreet” to serve his interests during his travels, including his trip to Peru.
Commenting on the case, Brad Edwards, Giuffre’s lawyer, expressed his dismay at those who believed the Prince’s denials, saying: “Virginia is a brave hero, and anyone who believed Epstein, Maxwell, or Andrew’s denials should be ashamed of themselves.”
The documents also indicated that the FBI tried to question the Prince about his relationship with businessman Peter Nygard, who is accused of sexual assault, but the Prince refused to cooperate, and no further action was taken against him.
It is worth noting that Prince Andrew was stripped of his titles and royal duties last October due to his long relationship with Epstein, who died in prison in 2019.
In another context, the US Department of Justice announced the discovery of more than one million additional documents potentially related to the Epstein case, which will delay the full publication of the files for several more weeks. This comes as part of the gradual release of documents related to criminal investigations, in compliance with a law passed by Congress last month, which stipulates the publication of all documents by December 19, while allowing partial redaction to protect victims.
