Prince knows ‘what he’s done’, says Epstein victim

One of Jeffrey Epstein’s victims, Australia-based Virginia Roberts Giuffre, yesterday called on Prince Andrew to ‘come clean’.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, from Queensland, outside court in New York yesterday after giving testimony about the sex crimes of Jeffrey Epstein. Picture: Bloomberg.

One of Jeffrey Epstein’s sex victims­, Australia-based Virginia Roberts Giuffre, has called on Britain’s Prince Andrew to “come clean” on their sexual ­encounters, saying the royal knows “exactly what he’s done”.

Ms Giuffre was one of more than a dozen women who told a New York court in a dramatic one-off hearing yesterday that they were abused and coerced by multi-millionaire financier ­Ep­stein, who committed suicide in his jail cell early this month.

“He knows exactly what he’s done, and I hope he comes clean about it,” Ms Giuffre, 35, said outside court when asked if she had anything to say to Prince Andrew.

Ms Guiffre, who says she was enticed by Epstein to have sex with the prince three times when she was 17, said she wanted Epstein­’s friend Ghislaine ­Max­well, who allegedly helped recruit her as a “sex slave” on ­behalf of Epstein, to be brought to justice.

“I am a victim of Jeffrey ­Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell and the dark and cruel criminal acts they committed against me … for years and years and years ­unstopped,” said Ms Guiffre, who is now married to an Australian and lives in Cairns.

“It’s not how Jeffrey died, it’s how he lived.

“I was recruited at a very young age from (Donald Trump’s Florida resort) Mar-a-Lago and entrapped in a world that I didn’t understand, and I’ve been fighting that very world to this day, and I won’t stop fighting — I will never be silenced until these people are brought to justice.”

Prince Andrew has strongly denied the allegations.

Epstein’s death did not stop the victims of the sexual predator having their day in court as they told of their abuse, often through tears, and their regret that they would never see him convicted.

David Boies, representing several of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged victims, centre, arrives with Annie Farmer, right, and Virginia Giuffre, alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein, second left. Picture: Bloomberg

One by one, his victims stood up in court and accused the 66-year-old of abusing them, often when they were as young as 14. They spoke of lost dreams and of a stolen childhood.

Jennifer Araoz, who says Epstein­ raped her when she was 15, cried as she spoke of how she would never get to watch him convicted of the sex-trafficking charges against him.

“The fact that I will never have a chance to face my predator in court eats away at my soul,” Ms Araoz said. “Even in death Jeffrey Epstein is trying to hurt me.”

Chauntae Davies, who says she was raped by Epstein for years after he hired her as a masseuse, spoke of how she believed Epstein had “won” by choosing to kill himself in his jail cell this month.

“It took me a long time to come forward,” Ms Davies said. “Every public humiliation that I endured, I have suffered, and he has won.”

Fifteen women spoke in court about their abuse, 10 of them using their own names and five of them remaining nameless.

Rather than drop all charges, as usually occurs after a defendant’s death, US district judge Richard Berman chose to hold the special hearing to allow those who alleged Epstein abused them “to be heard, if they wish to be”.

Jeffrey Epstein.

Prince Andrew and Virginia Roberts, aged 17. Picture: Shutterstock

“It’s a rare stunning turn of events,’’ Judge Berman said about Epstein’s suicide at the time he was facing sex-trafficking charges and a possible jail sentence of up to 45 years.

Epstein was found hanging in his cell on August 10 after guards failed to conduct their regular 30-minute checks on him.

Courtney Wild, who says she was abused by Epstein when she was 14, said he was a coward to kill himself rather than face justice.

“I feel very angry, sad. And ­justice has never been served in this case,” she said. Federal prosecutor Maureen Comey said that despite Epstein’s death, the invest­igation into his alleged crimes would continue and it was possible other charges might be brought. “This dismissal in no way lessens the government’s resolve,” she said.

Epstein had been charged with engaging in sex acts with underaged girls at his New York mansion­ and at his home in Palm Beach, Florida.

Epstein was accused of luring dozens of young girls to his home, often with the help of intermed­iaries, and then paying the girls to give him massages, which event­ually turned into sex.

Some of the victims urged prosecutors to go after the women who allegedly helped Epstein ­recruit young girls.

One victim, Sarah Ransome, said: “Please, please finish what you have started. We all know he did not act alone.”

Although a medical examiner concluded that Epstein’s death was a suicide, one of his lawyers, Reid Weingarten, said he was “sceptical”. “We ask your honour … to find out what happened,” Mr Weingarten said. “We deeply want to know what happened to our client.”

Cameron Stewart is also US contributor for Sky News Australia