TOKYO, Jan 31 - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Saturday that the former Prince Andrew should give testimony to a U.S. congressional panel following the release of fresh files related to Jeffrey Epstein by the U.S. Justice Department.
The newly published documents, released on Friday, contain emails indicating that King Charles's brother remained in regular contact with Epstein for more than two years after Epstein was convicted of child sex crimes in 2008. They also include redacted photographs that appear to show the former prince crouching over and touching the waist of an unidentified woman lying on the floor; the woman's face in those images has been blacked out.
In response to earlier disclosures about his association with Epstein, the king removed his brother's title of prince and evicted him from a residence within the grounds of Windsor Castle in November.
The former royal, who now goes by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, has consistently denied any wrongdoing connected to Epstein. He has also repeatedly denied maintaining contact with Epstein after the 2008 conviction, apart from a 2010 trip to New York that he has described as a visit to end their relationship. He did not respond to a request for comment on the most recent revelations. Buckingham Palace declined to comment.
Speaking to reporters aboard a plane en route to Japan following a four-day visit to China, Starmer said the ex-prince should appear before U.S. lawmakers to provide full details of what he knows about Epstein, in order to assist victims.
"Anybody who has got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they are asked to do that," Starmer said. "You can’t be victim centred if you’re not prepared to do that."
Members of a U.S. congressional committee investigating Epstein had stepped up their demands in November for the former prince to answer questions. The newly disclosed files add further material to the public record in that inquiry.
Jeffrey Epstein died by suicide in 2019 while being held in a Manhattan jail as he awaited trial on sex trafficking charges. He had previously been imprisoned in 2008 after being convicted of soliciting paid sex from a minor.
The Justice Department files reveal that Andrew and Epstein exchanged messages discussing potential business arrangements and social engagements. Several emails record Epstein proposing women for the former prince to meet. In one message, Epstein offered to bring three women to Buckingham Palace.
As the disclosures circulate, questions about the scope of Andrew's contacts with Epstein and the content of the communications have intensified. Starmer's call for the former prince to cooperate with U.S. investigators frames the matter in terms of aiding victims by making relevant information available to the authorities.
At this stage, the published material comprises redacted photographs and correspondence, and official responses from the former prince and Buckingham Palace to the latest revelations have been limited.