Virginia Giuffre's Family Calls U.S. Response 'Shameful' After Former Prince Andrew Arrest in U.K.

The family of Virginia Giuffre said they welcomed the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor in the U. K., while criticizing what they described as a lack of comparable repercussions in the United States. The development has renewed attention on documents tied to Jeffrey Epstein and the family's ongoing calls for accountability.

What happened and what’s new: Virginia Giuffre family reaction

Mountbatten-Windsor was arrested in the U. K. on suspicion of misconduct in public office after documents in the Jeffrey Epstein files prompted a police inquiry. Thames Valley Police said it had arrested a man in his 60s "on suspicion of misconduct in public office. " The man, 66, was released after roughly 12 hours but remains under investigation.

Virginia Giuffre's family described mixed emotions. In an emotional interview, her brother Sky Roberts said he learned of the arrest in the early hours and described a surge of adrenaline and a sense of vindication for Virginia and for what he termed her "survivor sisters. " Sky Roberts and his wife Amanda expressed that they would have wanted Giuffre to see the development and called the U. K. arrest welcome, while criticizing the absence of similar consequences in the United States as "shameful. "

Giuffre died by suicide last year at age 41. She had accused Mountbatten-Windsor of assaulting her on three separate occasions when she was 17; he has denied those allegations. Mountbatten-Windsor reached a settlement with her in 2022, paying her some $16 million. The arrest was not described as directly related to allegations of sexual trafficking or abuse, but followed calls from an anti-royal organization to investigate documents suggesting the former royal shared confidential government information with Jeffrey Epstein while serving as a British trade envoy.

Behind the headline

The immediate context is a police inquiry prompted by material in the Epstein files and a public campaign that pushed for scrutiny of those documents. For the family of Virginia Giuffre, the arrest offers a moment of public vindication after years of high-profile legal and civil encounters. Those feelings of vindication are coupled with frustration about perceived gaps in accountability in the United States.

Key actors named by the family include Virginia Giuffre's brother Sky Roberts and sister-in-law Amanda Roberts, Mountbatten-Windsor, law enforcement in the U. K., and the anti-royal organization that urged the investigation. Stakeholders extend to other survivors who have been identified by the family as "survivor sisters, " and to institutions whose records and past conduct are under renewed scrutiny.

What we still don’t know

• Whether the U. K. investigation will lead to formal charges or prosecution against Mountbatten-Windsor.
• The exact nature and strength of any evidence linking the alleged misconduct in public office to documents in the Epstein files.
• Whether U. S. authorities will open parallel inquiries or take other action in response to the same material.
• Whether further actions or legal steps will follow from the settlement reached in 2022.

What happens next

• U. K. investigation proceeds: Police continue their inquiry and may either close the investigation without charge or move toward prosecution if evidence supports that step. Trigger: law enforcement decisions based on their review of documents and interviews.
• Family and survivor advocacy intensify calls for accountability: The family may continue public advocacy to press authorities in other jurisdictions. Trigger: public statements and legal requests from the family.
• Renewed scrutiny of the Epstein files: Additional reviews of the files could prompt further inquiries or public examinations of past conduct by officials. Trigger: newly public or reexamined documents that raise fresh questions.
• No further legal action in the U. K.: The inquiry could conclude without charges, leaving reputational and civil questions unresolved. Trigger: law enforcement assessment that evidence is insufficient for prosecution.

Why it matters

For the family of Virginia Giuffre and others who identify as survivors, the arrest is seen as a measure of vindication after protracted legal and public struggles. It also focuses renewed attention on the contents of the Epstein files and on how governments and institutions respond to allegations tied to those documents.

Near-term implications include continued public and legal scrutiny, potential pressure on authorities in other jurisdictions to assess whether additional action is warranted, and an intensified public conversation about accountability for those connected to Jeffrey Epstein. The family's reaction underscores both a momentary sense of progress and ongoing frustration about uneven consequences across borders.

The investigation is still unfolding, and the family emphasized the emotional complexity of the moment: relief tempered by grief and a determination to keep seeking answers.