Prince Andrew

No of course not, that's not what I meant Coolio. I would not want to have anything to do with a convicted sexual predator and don't understand why anyone would.

He may not have had anything to do with Epstein's crimes but his failure to sever all contact with him immediately could be viewed as his tolerance of them.

IMO to say Epstein's behaviour was "unbecoming" was offensive to not only E's victims but all victims of sexual abuse. It came across very badly and I can see why. It made light of the true horrific nature of sex trafficking and sexual abuse.

Thank you Calliestemon .

Callistemon , yes, as there were 20 witnesses and 30 more women willing to be witnesses there must have been many, many men involved , yet the woman and her lawyer are concerned with one man , Andrew.

Surely others were named yet the woman in the photograph is demanding Andrew speaks the truth, as she was groomed by Epstein she must have been involved with more than one
man.

I am not excusing Andrew, but I do not trust this woman

Just come to this thread. We have naval friend and our god son is also in the navy and all were serving when PA was in the navy. He was not liked, arrogant with an overwheening sense of his own importance - and not that bright, was the general naval opinion of him.

On the radio this morning one royal correspondent said more or less the same thing. Thinks he is much cleverer than he is, only listens to people who agree with him and he thought the interview went very well - I rest my case.

She was a girl at the time, Anniebach.

As the mother of daughters, the thought that they could have been vulnerable enough to have been used and abused by predatory men sickens me.
Nor all these girls have strong fathers or mothers whom are what happens to them.

Not all (typo)

Who care enough

Sorry, this auto-correct is annoying me.

Yes she was so young Callistemon but not now . What reason can she and her lawyer have for choosing one man from the many she must have met

Some Gransnetters say although he has behaved shabbily and unwisely, and didn't come across as particularly convincing in his interview, there is no hard evidence that he personally has done anything illegal.

That may be true but I believe it's the case that the US authorities would like to interview him regarding Epstein and the allegations of the women who accused Epstein of masterminding a grooming/trafficking sex network. It was reported a while ago that he had told friends he was upset, with the disclosure of these womens' testimonies, he would ne unable to visit the US, presumably fearing that he would be forced to help the US authorities with their enquiries.

The very fact that Gislaine Maxwell, a close friend of his also, has disappeared from public view and it seems no-one knows if she is alive or dead (or possibly someone is hiding her) indicates that others are aware that they will be seen as complicit in Epstein's criminal activities. Andrew would presumably have some very valuable information as to who Epstein's friends and contacts were and where they might be likely to be found.

Instead, he chose to be be questioned by a TV interviewer on "home ground".

I disagree with the notion that "they" are "really after Epstein" (because, as stated, he is dead). However, other men and women (who are presumably still alive, though possibly not for long) were allegedly involved in this criminal sex trade and they too should be held legally responsible for any illegal activities they engaged in. It is difficult to believe that Andrew knew and saw nothing during his many visits to Epstein's various residences. If he truly regretted being involved with this man and had been but an "innocent abroad", why not do the "honourable" thing and go to the US to provide whatever information he has to the US investigating authorities?

Why not indeed, Eloethan

I can hardly believe that he is so gauche and naïve that he did not realise something was untoward.
If someone has nothing to hide then surely that person would be happy to help the authorities seek the truth.

Yes I get that now Eloethan and I agree with you.

Can US authorities be trusted ?

Have they not questioned any of the many men involved ? Have they questioned the Americans involved ?

I really don’t know where I stand on this. Yes I believe Andrew
knows much but why are they concentrating on one British
man ?

Over 50 women willing to speak out in court yet we only hear
one man’s name. Yes the British press are going for him but
surely the US Authorities have the names of many,

The police are not just after PA. They are looking for other high profile members of the sex trafficking ring. Children as young as 12 are involved.
PA is only one of them

There are many other young women involved not just the one in the photo she is not just doing it for money. That is insulting to the young women who were procured and abused.

One of the witnesses is a former butler of another of Epstein's guests. The butler saw one of the young girls distressed in the kitchen.

This is so much bigger than PA and the photograph.
I t is not prostitution it is abuse.
Young girls were procurred They were lied to and enticed and then raped or forced into sex. At least one young woman was kept as a sex slave on an island with her passport taken away and threats made.

To repeat PA is just one member of this rich men's "club".

I really hope they (French and American Police) can catch the lot.

The fallout has started

KMPG is not renewing it’s sponsorship of ‘Pitch&Palace

AstraZeneca has said their 3 year partnership with Pitch&Palace ends this year and they are reviewing it,

The Outward Bound Trust is reviewing his patronage at an
additional board meeting this week.

The person who holds all the clues and the one who is the most slippery is Ghislaine (spelling?) Maxwell. She is has made herself invisible and is probably in some state that has no extradition treaty with UK or US. But surely she must bear the title Most Wanted.

The Maxwells have never been the most principled of families. Prince Andrew should have distanced himself from her from the outset. I always used to think the Royals were careful about the company they kept but obviously not.

Ghislaine was Robert Maxwell's favourite child. This whole seedy story shows why. PA is just a thick plonker with the sensitivity of a rhinosceros.

One royal not the royals , in fairness merlot

Been out all day and if I can go back several pages can I clarify my comment that caused suziewoozie to spell out again, the reasons I couldn't "almost' feel sorry for Prince Andrew. I don't feel in the least bit sorry for PA who is mired in a mess entirely of his own making. My comment was based on the fact I was so shocked by his stupidity throughout that train wreck of an interview, in which he showed no empathy for the victims and in fact, presented himself as the victim

How any one, older women particularly, can seek to defend the sexual exploitation of vulnerable young women is beyond me. As Eloethan, Smileless, pink quartz and others have said, this isn't one woman saying PA was one of the men JE trafficked her to. This was highly organised sexual exploitation of children and young women. The authorities in the US missed opportunities to investigate in the past but they're doing it now.
Good.

But, was PA involved in sexual exploitation of minors or are the British press on the usual witch hunt. I suspect the latter. The woman who the interviewee asked PA 15 times was 17, over the age of consensual sex.

Also, the US cannot be compared to the UK although I see the Uk press are trying to bring Rotherham I to the equation.

I got the impression that he had been coached, but hadn't fully understood the reasons for saying (or not saying) various things.

He wouldn't agree that the photo was a fake, for instance - presumably because that is something that can be proved or disproved - but had no explanation as to where it had come from or what it represented. He agreed that he was in it, but also said that he knew nothing about it and had no explanation for it.

He also said that Epstein was not a friend, but just a 'plus one'; and then said that he had gone to stay with him for 4 days (in order to be honourable) when he decided that it would be better not to see him again. So was he a friend or wasn't he? I've seen divorces happen with less preamble.

As for the woman - I have no reason to disbelieve her, or to doubt the fact that it would have been impossible for her to be believed at the time. The 'me too' movement has made it easier for women to speak out now, and IMO that is a good thing.

To the poster who said that she (the woman) is after a payout, why do you think that? She will be unlikely to get anything at all except, possibly, compensation, which will only happen if PA is charged and found guilty, neither of which (whatever the truth of the matter) is likely to happen.

Also, the rules of the country where an offence is committed always apply, surely? She was underage in the US, so that is what matters. UK laws don't apply across the world - those saying that it was 'legal' in the UK need to consider how they would feel if someone from a place with an age of consent of 10 were to have sex with a 10 year old British girl in the UK. And if she had been trafficked or coerced, then her age is irrelevant.

I seem to have missed a couple of pages of this thread - sorry if I am repeating things that others have said.

Andrew was very foolish getting mixed up with Epstein but since leaving Fergie I don’t recall him being associated with any other woman. Has he had any serious girlfriends since then or is he leading celibate life?.

David no he hasn’t had a serious girlfriend or no he’s not leading a celibate life I believe

Andrew and Fergie have been living together for ages.

In his interview he said he had stayed on Epstein’s island ,
yesterday a female lawyer and a woman who has now come
forward gave a press interview.

The woman said she had been a victim of Epstein, he asked
her to go to his island where she would meet Prince Andrew.