Second Jeffrey Epstein accuser alleges 2010 encounter with Andrew at Windsor; Starmer urges testimony to U.S. Congress
A second woman has alleged she was sent by Jeffrey Epstein to Britain for a sexual encounter with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at his residence on the Windsor estate in 2010, when she was in her 20s, the BBC reported. The claim surfaces days after the U.S. Justice Department released a vast trove of Epstein-related documents, intensifying scrutiny on the disgraced royal.
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The woman’s U.S. attorney, Brad Edwards, told the broadcaster there were communications between his client and Andrew before the alleged encounter. Edwards said he is considering filing a civil lawsuit on her behalf. He represents more than 200 survivors of Epstein’s abuse and, according to AFP, did not immediately respond to its request for comment.
Andrew, who could not be reached for comment, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing connected to Epstein. He has previously faced sexual assault accusations from Virginia Giuffre, who alleged she was trafficked to have sex with him on multiple occasions. Andrew settled a civil lawsuit brought by Giuffre in 2022 for an undisclosed sum, with no admission of liability.
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Andrew should accept invitations to testify before the U.S. Congress about Epstein’s crimes. The call adds political pressure as the newly published Justice Department files revive questions about Andrew’s ties to Epstein and his circle.
The Justice Department release on Friday, comprising millions of pages of case materials, included undated photographs of Andrew on all fours over a woman, as well as 2010 emails between him and Epstein proposing dinner with a “beautiful, trustworthy” 26-year-old Russian woman, according to the documents. The cache adds to longstanding inquiries into how Epstein leveraged a network of powerful contacts even after his first conviction.
Andrew, 65, withdrew from public duties in 2019 amid fallout from his relationship with the late American financier, who pleaded guilty in Florida in 2008 to soliciting a minor for prostitution. Andrew maintained contact with Epstein after that conviction, a decision that has dogged him for years. He has since been stripped of royal titles and honors and no longer uses the style His Royal Highness.
Epstein died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex-trafficking charges. His death closed the criminal case against him but opened a torrent of litigation and disclosures that have continued to expose new claims and to ensnare officials and public figures across multiple countries.
Reverberations from the latest document release are already being felt beyond the UK. In Slovakia, national security adviser Miroslav Lajcak resigned after newly publicized files showed that he and Epstein had exchanged messages discussing young women. Lajcak denied any wrongdoing, described the exchange as informal and without substance, and said he stepped down to prevent political damage to Prime Minister Robert Fico. Fico accepted the resignation in a video message, calling Lajcak a valued source of diplomatic experience. The Justice Department’s files include a text exchange dated October 2018, when Lajcak was serving as Slovakia’s foreign minister.
The allegation reported by the BBC adds to the legal and reputational peril facing Andrew as U.S. authorities’ disclosures continue to roll out. If Edwards proceeds with a civil case, it would further formalize the new accuser’s claims and potentially draw Andrew into fresh proceedings, even as he remains under pressure to cooperate with lawmakers seeking clarity on the extent of Epstein’s international network.
For the monarchy, the latest developments reopen a damaging chapter it has struggled to close. For survivors of Epstein’s crimes, they offer another avenue for accountability—albeit one unfolding in public view and under the weight of renewed political and diplomatic controversy.
By Abdiwahab Ahmed
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
