Lawyers want to swap US driver Anne Sacoolas for UK’s Prince Andrew in extradition swap
One of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims wants the Queen to pressure Prince Andrew to submit to an interview and her lawyers are proposing a trade-off.
Royals
Don't miss out on the headlines from Royals. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The Queen and British establishment must put pressure on Prince Andrew to submit to an interview over the Jeffrey Epstein scandal, one of the billionaire financier’s victims says.
It comes as lawyers for victims of Epstein have joined forces with the legal team representing a UK family whose son was allegedly killed in a traffic accident by an American woman.
Harry Dunn, 19, was killed near a US military base in the UK but the US driver Anne Sacoolas fled the country.
Now the lawyers have demanded a makeshift swap of Prince Andrew for Ms Sacoolas, who is the wife of a spy.
Epstein victim Kiki, who did not provide her surname, made a plea to the Queen and the British establishment early on Thursday morning Australian time to make Prince Andrew speak to authorities.
“To everyone who has influence in these cases have no regrets when looking back on your life,” she said. “I have a message for Prince Andrew … of all people you had the power to influence and to say something but (you) didn’t.
“For all the victims this is like a bad dream.”
Kiki was 19 when claims she was abused by Epstein, who killed himself in a Manhattan jail in August while awaiting new child abuse charges.
He was accused of running a paedophile ring and flying girls on his private jet dubbed the Lolita Express to his property in the US Virgin Islands.
Prince Andrew visited him in New York in 2010 after he had served 18 months for child sex charges.
The Duke of York defended the trip in a BBC interview last year saying he had to do the “honourable” thing and end their friendship in person.
Prince Andrew has also been accused by Australian based woman Virginia Roberts Giuffre of being forced to have sex with him when she was 17.
A 2001 photograph shows Prince Andrew with his arm around her bare midriff.
However, Prince Andrew claims he has never met Ms Roberts Giuffre, saying he was at a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking on the night she said they met at a London nightclub before having sex.
Prince Andrew’s supporters have also questioned whether the photograph was fake, though that claim only occurred in recent times and it has been published several times over many years.
Prince Andrew was forced to step down from royal duties following the interview, with Prince Charles reportedly backing his younger brother’s exile.
Lisa Bloom, a celebrity lawyer representing Kiki and other Epstein victims, said both Prince Andrew and Ms Sacoolas should turn themselves in for questioning.
“Today we stand with the family of Harry Dunn and they stand with us. Both Mrs Sacoolas and Prince Andrew must co-operate with law enforcement,” she said. “I call upon my government, the US, to return Mrs Sacoolas to the UK to face justice.”
MORE NEWS
Clarkson tells Meghan ‘get a grip’
Plane skids off runway, snaps into three
Friends star drops big reboot hint
The lawyer said Prince Andrew needs to “answer questions about Jeffrey Epstein and his own behaviour”, adding: “In both countries everyone is equal in the eyes of the law.”
Radd Seiger, spokesman for Mr Dunn’s family, said to Prince Andrew: “If you have nothing to hide get on a plane and meet with Kiki, and help her and help other victims … there’s no other way”
When asked if he wanted a “swap”, Mr Seiger said: “It can never be a swap but at the heart of extradition treaties is reciprocity.”
“If you want me as a nation to send people you want to prosecute, you have to agree to do the same thing.”
“It can never be a straight swap but be careful what you wish for. If you want people from the UK like Prince Andrew, Julian Assange … you have to think about making sure that treaty is followed to the letter.”
stephen.drill@news.co.uk
Charles to ‘stay out’ of Republic debate
The King has issued a surprising response to a question about Australia’s future ahead of his five-day tour to the country later this week.
Charles won’t stop Australia axing monarchy
As King Charles gets set to fly to Australia, a royal spokesman has claimed he won’t stand in the way of Australia dropping the monarchy despite his “deep love and affection” for the country.