LONDON — British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Saturday that Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, also known as Prince Andrew, should be prepared to testify before the US Congress about his past dealings with late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to media reports.Speaking to reporters while returning from Japan, Starmer said anyone with relevant information should be ready to share it “in whatever form they are asked to do that,” Sky News reported.“You can’t be victim-centred if you’re not prepared to do that,” Starmer said. “Epstein’s victims have to be the first priority.”Asked whether Prince Andrew should issue an apology, the prime minister said the matter was “for Andrew” to decide, noting that he had used similar language in comments made in November.Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles III, has long denied any wrongdoing related to Epstein, who died in a New York jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.Renewed scrutiny has followed the unsealing of US Justice Department files, including photographs cited by BBC News that reportedly show Andrew in close physical proximity to an unidentified woman. Separate documents reported by The Guardian suggest Epstein maintained contact with Andrew after his 2008 conviction, including references to possible private meetings in London in 2010. It remains unclear whether any such meeting took place.In 2022, Prince Andrew was stripped of his military titles and royal patronages and withdrew from public duties amid mounting controversy over his association with Epstein.Epstein pleaded guilty in a Florida court in 2008 to procuring a minor for prostitution, a conviction critics have described as a “sweetheart deal.” His victims have alleged he ran a wide-ranging sex trafficking network involving members of the wealthy and political elite.The Epstein case continues to be a politically sensitive issue in the United States, with lawmakers and victims’ advocates calling for greater transparency about his associates and any individuals who may have facilitated his crimes.
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