Detectives investigating Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may travel to the US to speak with the family of his accuser Virginia Giuffre, it is understood.
Police to interview Giuffre's relatives
Thames Valley police are believed to want to talk to Giuffre's brother and sister-in-law, Sky and Amanda Roberts, about their sister's allegations of sexual assault by the former Duke of York. He has denied the claims of Giuffre, who took her own life in April last year, aged 41.
Mountbatten-Windsor, 66, a former UK trade envoy, was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February as part of an investigation after the mass release of documents in the "Epstein files". He was questioned about allegations that he shared confidential material with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and released on bail.
Witness appeal and investigation scope
After his arrest, police made an appeal for witnesses to contact them if they believed they had information about alleged sexual misconduct, corruption, fraud or the sharing of confidential information regarding Mountbatten-Windsor. Giuffre's relatives are in contact with detectives and revealed UK police officers will be visiting the US soon, the Times reported. It will not be a formal interview as they are not considered direct witnesses to the allegations.
Oliver Wright, the assistant chief constable at Thames Valley police, said: "Our misconduct in public office investigation is ongoing and we are following all reasonable lines of inquiry. In any conversations with potential witnesses, our aim is to explain the scope of misconduct in public office, sensitively discuss any information they have and answer any questions or concerns. We are committed to conducting a thorough and careful investigation into misconduct in public office and will follow all reasonable lines of inquiry, in line with our responsibilities under the Criminal Procedures and Investigations Act."
No reinvestigation of Giuffre's claims
It is understood that any interviews should not be taken as an indication that Thames Valley police are reinvestigating previous reports made by Giuffre. The force is understood to have already sought files in the case from the Metropolitan police and officers are expected to speak with Mountbatten-Windsor's former protection officers.
After the arrest, Giuffre's family issued a statement saying: "Our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty." Mountbatten-Windsor said in his infamous Newsnight interview that he did not remember meeting Giuffre, despite there being a photograph of him with his arms around the waist of the then 17-year-old, who worked for Epstein. In 2022, he agreed a financial settlement with Guiffre, reported to be worth about £12m, without any admission of liability.
Additional allegations and Met police involvement
Thames Valley police are said to be assessing allegations that Epstein sent another woman to the UK in 2010 for a sexual encounter with the then prince at Royal Lodge, the home he was evicted from by his brother King Charles earlier this year. The woman's lawyer has given a statement to police but she has not been interviewed and there have been reports she has decided not to pursue a formal criminal complaint, citing fears over loss of privacy and unwanted publicity, the Times reported.
Sky and Amanda Roberts have said they will seek a meeting with the new prime minister during a planned trip to the UK later this year. The Met interviewed Giuffre in July 2015 after she made complaints of trafficking for sexual exploitation by Epstein, who died in his prison cell in New York in 2019, and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell. The force did not launch a full investigation, saying there was no allegation of criminal conduct against any UK-based citizens and that any investigation into human trafficking would be largely focused on activities outside the UK and perpetrators based overseas.
Mountbatten-Windsor has been contacted for comment.
