The household of Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked by convicted intercourse offender Jeffrey Epstein to interact in intercourse with former Prince Andrew, stated they’re completely happy concerning the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor within the U.Okay., however stated it’s “shameful” that there have not been comparable repercussions in the US.
Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested Thursday for suspected misconduct in public workplace stemming from revelations within the Jeffrey Epstein information.
Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, instructed CBS Information chief Washington correspondent Main Garrett in an emotional interview that he discovered concerning the arrest at 3 a.m.
“We had this similar to enhance of adrenaline that it virtually felt surreal,” he stated.
“After which, , following that enhance of emotion or that enhance of pleasure, actually, vindication for Virginia,” he stated. “I imply, I can let you know, it has been sort of an up and down day. We have had a number of a mixture of feelings. I discovered myself crying in a restaurant earlier for actually no different motive than simply that we miss her. We want she was right here to see this, and this can be a day for her survivor sisters. It is a day that they have been wanting for a very long time, and I believe it provides a bit of little bit of vindication to her and to her survivor sisters.”
Barry Williams/New York Day by day Information/Tribune Information Service through Getty Photographs
Giuffre died by suicide final 12 months at age 41. She had accused Mountbatten-Windsor, former Prince Andrew, of assaulting her on three separate events when she was 17. He has denied these allegations. Mountbatten-Windsor reached a settlement along with her in 2022, paying her some $16 million, based on British media experiences.
“We’d have been calling Virginia and screaming and rejoicing along with her,” stated Amanda Roberts, Sky’s spouse and Virginia’s sister-in-law. “And so the flood of that, like, blended emotion, , we have had some actually tough moments at this time, however we additionally wish to proceed on the trail of victory. We wish to take this as a win and preserve pushing ahead.”
Mountbatten-Windsor, the youthful brother of King Charles III, was arrested on his 66th birthday. The arrest wasn’t instantly associated to accusations of sexual trafficking or abuse, however took place two weeks after an anti-royal group referred to as for police to analyze paperwork within the Epstein information that indicated the previous prince had shared confidential authorities data with the late American intercourse offender when the royal labored as a British commerce envoy.
The Thames Valley Police stated Thursday it had arrested a person in his 60s “on suspicion of misconduct in public workplace.” Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, was launched after about 12 hours however continues to be underneath investigation.
Phil Noble / REUTERS 
“We’re extremely happy with her,” Sky Roberts stated of Giuffre. “And there is one second that basically resonates in my thoughts. And I bear in mind the second the place she stated, ‘He is aware of what he did. I do know what he did, and there is solely one in every of us telling the reality, and I do know that is me.’ And that retains resonating in my head at this time.”
Amanda Roberts stated the previous prince’s arrest was Giuffre’s “character coming to fruition at this time.”
Mountbatten-Windsor was stripped of his royal titles final 12 months amid renewed criticism over his relationship with Epstein and Giuffre’s allegations.
Amanda Roberts stated Thursday’s expenses, whereas circuitously associated to her sister-in-law’s allegations, are nonetheless very critical.
“I do wish to reiterate that’s punishable by life within the U.Okay. So that may be a very excessive punishment, and we welcome that,” she stated. “However we additionally wish to say that that is the start of the online. That is the thread that we have to proceed to tug to uncover the additional allegations. We hope the U.Okay. is persistent in that, and we all know that in the event that they actually comply with this path, they are going to get there as nicely.”
“And we’re anticipating the identical acts to occur right here in the US,” she added. “And it has been very shameful to not see that come from our personal authorities.”
Sky Roberts additionally criticized the contrasting responses between the U.S. and U.Okay. governments, saying, “You may have our personal administration right here mainly telling the American public that, , we will transfer on from this. And the fact is that the American public is screaming again at them, together with survivors and our survivor sisters, saying nicely, you could be prepared to maneuver on, however we’re not.”
“It is a stain on American historical past,” he added.
Amanda Roberts stated she had “zero confidence” in Lawyer Basic Pam Bondi or the Justice Division to hold out correct investigations into these implicated within the information.
“We have to take a look at our representatives. We have to take a look at Congress to take no matter actions essential to preserve pushing this ahead,” she stated. “It should be uncovered. We should see additional indictments. And I might say this: Anybody in our administration, particularly within the Division of Justice, in case you are not prepared to reveal predators and do proper by the survivors on this case, then you must resign.”
Sky Roberts additionally had harsh phrases for earlier administrations, saying, “Fairly frankly, each administration previous to this, they’re in the identical boat the place they seemingly did not do proper by survivors.”
“My hope is that that is only a cause-and-effect second, that the domino has lastly fallen, that the subsequent sequence of home of playing cards are about to indicate their face,” he stated. “Now we have to take motion off of this. And the best way that the U.Okay. responds, the best way that they deal with this investigation, goes to set the tone for the remainder of the entire different investigations which are going to happen.”
Chatting with members of the U.S. authorities, Sky Roberts stated, “Choose up your child women tonight, look them within the face, inform them you probably did nothing. Or decide them up and inform them, , ‘Mommy and daddy are preventing. We’ll do that for you. This subsequent era deserves higher.'”
Amanda stated that whereas the problem could also be political, “it isn’t partisan.”
“I additionally wish to inform each single survivor on the market that today is for you, and that abnormal folks like Virginia can do extraordinary issues, regardless of the trauma and ache that you’ve got lived by way of,” she stated. “And we’re right here for you. We see you, and we will preserve preventing, and we will pull you over that end line.”
