The grieving family of Virginia Giuffre made an emotional appearance on ITV’s This Morning this week, calling on the royal family to support reopening an investigation into Prince Andrew’s association with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Speaking from Colorado Springs, Ms Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, and his wife Amanda appeared live via video link to discuss her posthumous memoir, Nobody’s Girl, and to keep her voice alive.
Nobody’s Girl was released on October 21, six months after Ms Giuffre’s death in April.
Prince Andrew scandal latest
Ms Giuffre’s memoir chronicles the harrowing abuse she suffered at the hands of Epstein and his associate, Ghislaine Maxwell.
It also details her allegations that she was trafficked to Prince Andrew, accusations the royal has repeatedly denied.
Ms Giuffre had sued Prince Andrew in 2021, accusing him of sexual assault. She claimed she was made to have sex with the prince after being trafficked by Epstein. Andrew denied the claims. In February 2022, Prince Andrew and Ms Giuffre reached an out-of-court settlement for an undisclosed sum. Andrew repeated that the settlement did not mean any liability or admission of guilt.
Ms Giuffre tragically took her own life in April of this year.
When asked how it felt to finally hold Ms Giuffre’s book in their hands, Amanda struggled through tears to answer.
“We always knew what the contents of the book were going to be. But this felt particularly hard. Holding the physical copy in our hand while she’s not here anymore,” she said.
“There were so many big feelings. It was a heavy read of course, but there are also so many beautiful moments that highlighted who she was and her character and her quirkiness, her love for music. I could hear her voice.”
Ms Giuffre’s brother Sky echoed her sentiments: “We’re very proud of her. There are so many intimate details that she shares. To me, it makes it very difficult for anybody that might be complicit to poke holes in her story.”
‘We need to reopen investigations’
The memoir offers a deeply personal account of Ms Giuffre’s trauma and survival. However, her family emphasised that the book was never meant to be the end of her story, but rather a beginning.
“I think that the work is not yet done,” Sky told hosts Cat Deeley and Ben Shephard. “This is just the beginning. It was kind of written that way where it was meant for some sort of action to take place, following the book release.”
You have an opportunity to promote change.
Asked what that action should look like, Sky was clear: “We need to reopen investigations. I think the UK law enforcement have documentation that supports being able to bring people to justice. Including Prince Andrew.”
He added bluntly: “Just because you have the word ‘prince’ in front of your name, doesn’t mean there is a different set of laws for you. I do believe that if prince wasn’t in front of his name, he would be behind bars.”
Royal family has the ‘opportunity’ to lead by example
Amanda also added that the royal family has the “opportunity” to lead by example.
“You have an opportunity to promote change,” she said. “You have an opportunity to say that you’ll be a royal family who protects the innocent no matter who is implicated, that you’ll stand on the right thing. We’re hoping that you’re going to do the right thing.
Concluding the interview, Sky said Nobody’s Girl serves as both “an acknowledgment and vindication” for his sister and other survivors. “Our goal,” he said, “is to keep her voice alive”.
In 2019, Andrew stepped back from royal duties. Just last week, ahead of the memoir’s release, he announced his decision to no longer use his Duke of York title. He has also given up any remaining royal honours.
Buckingham Palace has been contacted for comment.
Read more: Palace issues King Charles statement amid ‘great concern’ over Prince Andrew allegations
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