Government urges Andrew to reveal all he knows about Epstein for sake of victims

The Government is heaping pressure on Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor to reveal all he knows about Jeffrey Epstein so the disgraced paedophile financier’s victims are given all they “deserve and need”.

Pictures which appear to show Andrew crouched over an unidentified woman are featured in the latest disclosure of files linked to Epstein.

The images, which were splashed across the front pages of Sunday newspapers, are among more than three million documents published by the US Department of Justice on Friday.

The King’s brother has previously vehemently denied any wrongdoing.

Sir Keir Starmer has said the former duke “should be prepared” to testify before the US Congress about his links to Epstein, after he featured in the disclosures.

Steve Reed, the Communities Secretary, said Andrew “clearly has insight into what was going on”.

Mr Reed was asked on Sky News’s Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips programme if the Government would comply with an extradition request from the US for Andrew, should one be made.

He replied: “You’re asking me now details of legislation that would depend on the type of offence that may or may not have been committed. It’s entirely hypothetical.

“I don’t think it’s sensible for me to come on here and start talking hypothetically about situations that may or may not exist.”

Echoing the Prime Minister’s insistence that efforts to investigate Epstein should be “victim-centred”, the Communities Secretary said: “But the principle here is very, very clear: Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor clearly has insight into what was going on, and he should testify, because the victims deserve and need him, and anybody else who may have witnessed things, to do that.”

Mr Reed added he had “no idea” if the Government could compel Andrew to take part in the congressional investigation.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg, Mr Reed said he thought the images which appear to show Andrew kneeling over a young woman are “very disturbing”.

The former prince was stripped of his titles by Charles last year after the posthumous release of a book by Virginia Giuffre who alleged she was trafficked by Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell when she was 17.

Andrew paid millions to Ms Giuffre, a woman he has claimed never to have met, to settle a civil sexual assault claim in 2022.

The Communities Secretary was guarded when asked about files which appear to show Lord Peter Mandelson was paid 50,000 US dollars by Epstein over two payments in June 2004, when he was a Labour MP.

The peer was sacked as the ambassador to Washington DC last year after revelations of his continued contact with Epstein following his guilty plea in 2008 to soliciting prostitution and soliciting a minor.

A spokesman for Lord Mandelson told the Sunday Mirror he had no recollection of receiving the payments, and did not know if the documents were genuine.

Lord Mandelson has previously offered an unequivocal apology to Epstein’s victims.

Being pictured or mentioned in the Epstein files is not an indicator of any wrongdoing.

Mr Reed was asked by Sky if Lord Mandelson should be stripped of his peerage because of his association with Epstein.

He replied: “I think before taking any action like that, we need to understand exactly what’s happened. You’re asking me here about something that happened nearly 20 years ago. I don’t know the full detail of it, I wasn’t in government 20 years ago.

“I don’t know whether he declared it or not, and he should have done – the declaration rules had been brought in by then – so I think it would be for Peter Mandelson to explain whether or not that money was properly declared, and if not, then he will need to account for that.”

On the final leg of his trip to East Asia, Sir Keir had earlier suggested Andrew should testify to the US congressional Epstein investigation.

He said: “I’ve always said anybody who’s got information should be prepared to share that information in whatever form they’re asked to do that because you can’t be victim-centred if you’re not prepared to do that.”

Shadow home secretary Chris Philp said both Andrew and Lord Mandelson should “give all the assistance they possibly can” to authorities investigating Jeffrey Epstein.

The senior Conservative added: “It’s pretty horrifying to see just how extensive Jeffrey Epstein’s nefarious activities extended.

“Horrifying to see how many people were involved embroiled in his network.”