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Victims reluctant to engage with UK authorities
An American attorney representing hundreds of Jeffrey Epstein's alleged victims has revealed that several women with potential information about Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor refuse to speak to British police. Brad Edwards, the lawyer, cited distrust in authorities and fears of media harassment as the primary reasons.
Distrust in UK law enforcement
Edwards told the BBC that his clients, including a woman who claims she was sent to the UK for a sexual encounter with Mountbatten-Windsor, believe British police failed to act when Epstein was alive. This history, he said, has eroded their confidence in the system.
"The authorities showed little interest in investigating Epstein while he was alive," Edwards stated. "That inaction has left victims skeptical about whether they'll be taken seriously now."
Press intrusion as a deterrent
The lawyer emphasized that aggressive media scrutiny has further discouraged victims from coming forward. He described how UK journalists began investigating one of his clients-and her family-after she initially considered cooperating with police.
"Other victims noticed what happened to her," Edwards said. "They saw her privacy violated and decided they couldn't risk the same treatment."
Allegations and police response
Edwards represents a woman who alleges Mountbatten-Windsor abused her at his Royal Lodge home in 2010 before inviting her to Buckingham Palace. Thames Valley Police confirmed in February they would assess her claim, though her legal team later informed them she would not engage due to privacy concerns.
This woman is the second to accuse Mountbatten-Windsor of abuse in the UK, following Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked to the country by Epstein in 2001. Giuffre filed a complaint with London's Metropolitan Police in 2015 but was told no investigation would proceed. She later settled a civil case against Mountbatten-Windsor for an estimated £12 million in 2022 and died by suicide last year.
Ongoing investigations
Thames Valley Police arrested Mountbatten-Windsor on February 19 on suspicion of misconduct in public office, releasing him under investigation. The inquiry stems from documents released in the U.S. suggesting he shared sensitive information with Epstein while serving as a UK trade envoy from 2001 to 2011. Police have not named him, referring to him only as "a man in his 60s from Norfolk."
Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing, including allegations of personal gain from his trade envoy role.
Police pledge support for victims
A spokesperson for the National Police Chiefs' Council acknowledged that efforts to contact victims have been limited but stressed that authorities continue to reach out. "We recognize that coming forward is difficult," the spokesperson said. "Victims will be treated with care, compassion, and respect, with their wellbeing and privacy as our priority."
Sigrid McCawley, another U.S. lawyer representing Epstein survivors, told the BBC she has received no communication from the Metropolitan Police since the release of Epstein's files in January.
Epstein's criminal history
Jeffrey Epstein, convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor, died in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. His death was ruled a suicide.
