Police must be free to follow evidence, say Epstein victims on Andrew court row

Police must be free to follow evidence “without fear or favour”, victims of Jeffrey Epstein have said amid the legal row between Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Thames Valley Police.

The former Duke of York is locked in a High Court battle over whether evidence obtained during raids of two of his properties can be used in the criminal investigation into him after police acknowledged the search warrants used were unlawful.

A group of Epstein survivors have expressed their support for the Thames Valley force, and said they look forward to coming to the UK and meeting Andy Burnham.

“For decades, powerful people have hidden behind wealth, influence, silence, and delay,” they said.

“While they protected themselves, survivors carried the trauma alone. We were expected to stay quiet, to move on, and to accept that justice would never come.

“We refuse.

“We express our profound gratitude to Thames Valley Police for their outstanding work in the United Kingdom and internationally, and for their commitment to pursuing justice.

“We stand firmly with them. Police must be free to follow the evidence without fear or favour.

“It must not matter who someone is, how powerful they are, or whom they know. No-one is above the law.”

Signatories include women from the Survivor Sisters group, which Virginia Giuffre was a part of.

They quoted a line from a statement issued by the King following Andrew’s arrest in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office.

Charles said: “Let me state clearly: the law must take its course.”

Andrew has denied any wrongdoing over his links to Epstein.

At the High Court on Thursday, Mr Justice Hilliard said that while Andrew and Thames Valley Police had reached an “agreement” that search warrants for his properties were unlawful, police have since launched a bid to retain evidence gathered during the searches in February.

He said Andrew opposes the bid to retain the evidence, with a hearing in the case to be held in private in 2027.

It means that the former prince could remain in limbo for several more months before learning if he will be charged with an offence.

The warrants, issued by a judge at the Old Bailey on February 18, allowed police to raid Andrew’s residence on the Sandringham Estate and his former Windsor home, Royal Lodge, in February.

He was then arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office on February 19, his 66th birthday, following allegations he shared sensitive information with Jeffrey Epstein during his time as the UK’s trade envoy.

Andrew was interviewed under caution before being released under investigation, and denies wrongdoing, with the police probe ongoing.