VIRGINIA Giuffre's death is Prince Andrew's “tragic opportunity” to finally tell the FBI what he knows about Jeffrey Epstein, an ex-chief prosecutor said.
The , who Virginia accused of sexually abusing her when she was 17, has so far failed to give any statements to authorities.
He has repeatedly claimed he knew nothing of ‘s criminal behaviour despite their friendship and ignored calls to speak up.
Lawyers who represented Epstein's victims, however, have argued it .
Nazir Afzal, the former chief crown prosecutor for northwest England, has now said gives Andrew a new opportunity to “bring justice”.
He told The Sun: “Ms Guiffre, like many victims, has had to fight for justice and it takes courage but also takes its toll.
“It’s extraordinary that the only people to pay the price for Epstein’s crimes against women are women.
“He [Prince Andrew] always should have told the FBI what he knows but her death gives him a tragic opportunity to bring justice.”
Virginia, who was sex trafficked by Epstein, last night.
Her family said the mum-of-three was a “fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse” but that .
“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” they said.
Virginia was a central figure in the prolonged downfall of disgraced paedophile financier Epstein, who died in prison in 2019, and his warped madam Ghislaine Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year sentence.
After being hired as a masseuse for Epstein, Virginia said she was flown around the world for meetings with men at his behest, while she was 17 and 18.
Virginia alleged she was forced to have sex with the Duke when she was just 17 – a claim Andrew has always vehemently denied.
The case was settled quietly out of court for an estimated £12 million in 2022 – sparing Andrew a humiliating court battle.
In his car-crash Newsnight interview in 2019, Andrew denied he had slept with Virginia on three separate occasions – and even claimed he has no memory of even meeting her.
The royal also claimed he has no memory of a well-known photograph of him with his arm around Virginia's waist at Maxwell's house, and has questioned whether it was his own hand in the image.
He told Emily Maitlis: “I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”
But during the embarrassing interview, Andrew – who was forced to step aside from public duties in 2019 over his friendship with the paedo – vowed to speak to law enforcement.
More than 1,900 days have now passed since, and Andrew has remained silent in what lawyers for Epstein's victim have branded an “insult”.
It is hoped Andrew could unknowingly hold information that could lead investigators to the “last piece of the jigsaw” to expose the full extent of the couple's “.
In February, Spencer Kuvin – whose clients include Epstein survivors – branded the duke an “embarrassment” and insisted he has “absolutely no care for what the victims went through”.
He told The Sun: “His quote, unquote, admitted friendship with a pedophile is despicable.
“He's someone not only do I not respect, but someone I think, quite frankly, should be shunned by society in general.
“Not only because of how he's acted in the past, but even until the present day. He doesn't act with integrity.”
Mr Afzal previously told The Sun how Andrew could hold key information about Epstein – even if he did nothing wrong.
He said: “Prince Andrew denies any wrongdoing or conduct unbecoming. However, he may have information or evidence that is significant.
“I've prosecuted several thousand sexual offences, including those that happened years before.
“They are some of the most difficult cases to prosecute because it's often one person's word against another without any supporting evidence.
“I often longed for another witness who saw or heard anything to come forward to strengthen my cases.
“Anybody with information is like the last piece of a jigsaw that enables you to see the bigger picture.”
The solicitor argued that even if allegations against Andrew are false, he “carries responsibility” by not revealing anything he might know.
He added: “Prince Andrew may, knowingly or unknowingly, have that last piece of the jigsaw which leads to serious offenders being convicted and victims getting justice.
“Victims told me that their recovery began when they got justice. If they didn't, the trauma would continue forever.
“The legal cases speak for itself. The moral and ethical case for helping authorities is that you help victims find peace.
“If you don't, then you carry part of the responsibility.”
