Virginia Giuffre’s family urges King Charles to 'demonstrate unity' on US visit

Virginia Giuffre's family is calling on King Charles to "stand up and show solidarity" during his upcoming state visit to the United States.

Sky Roberts, Ms. Giuffre's brother, and his wife Amanda had earlier urged the monarch to engage with both their family and other survivors of the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

"We need the King of England to stand up and show his support for survivors," Mr. Roberts expressed to the BBC.

"All we ask is for a brief 10-minute meeting with the King to demonstrate to him that we are real individuals with genuine emotions."

The King and Queen are set to undertake a four-day visit to America, where they will meet President Donald Trump and attend a banquet at the White House.

His Majesty has also been invited to address a joint session of Congress.

A BBC investigation released on Friday revealed that Epstein continued owning properties in the capital where women were housed for years after the Metropolitan Police decided not to follow up on Ms. Giuffre's original complaint in 2015. 

She had reported to authorities that the financier trafficked her to Britain in the early 2000s.

Mr. Roberts criticized what he called a recurring pattern of institutional failures on both sides of the Atlantic.

"This has been a consistent failure not only by the FBI but also by the Metropolitan Police in the UK," he asserted.

"It could have prevented many years of subsequent abuse that occurred right under the watch of these officers," Mr. Roberts added.

The Roberts family has pledged their support for Lisa Phillips, another Epstein survivor, in her call for a public inquiry into the allegations against the financier by women in Britain.

"We would fully support an inquiry," Amanda Roberts stated.

She highlighted the recent findings about Epstein's properties in London as proof that critical questions remain unanswered.

"It's clear there's more to investigate, and more evidence is available, especially if it's revealed he had apartments years after the first reports came out," Mrs. Roberts explained.

The family's support adds momentum to the increasing pressure on British authorities to scrutinise how Epstein operated in the UK despite previous victim warnings.

Controversy erupted in Congress this week following reports that some Republican committee members investigating Epstein were considering offering Maxwell a pardon for testimony.

"Never, never," Mrs. Roberts replied when asked if such an arrangement could ever receive their support.

"Just the thought of pardon and Maxwell in the same breath makes me feel ill, and the idea that this could be considered realistic is troubling."