Page 6 - AHATA

A5
U.S. NEWS Tuesday 28 January 2020
Prince Andrew called uncooperative

in Jeffrey Epstein probe

NEW YORK (AP) — Britain's at Epstein's behest, starting have in the case, if any.
Prince Andrew has provid- when she was 17. The age of consent for sex
ed "zero cooperation" to Virginia Roberts Giuffre says is 16 in England and 17 in
the American investigators that after meeting Epstein New York. However, Giuffre
who want to interview him in Florida in 2000, the mil- claims that she was paid by
as part of their sex traffick- lionaire flew her around Epstein for her sexual en-
ing probe into Jeffrey Ep- the world and pressured counters with Andrew. That
stein, a U.S. prosecutor said her into having sex with nu- could constitute a violation
Monday. merous older men, includ- of U.S. sex trafficking laws
Speaking at a news confer- ing Andrew, two senior U.S. if she was under age 18 or
ence outside Epstein's New politicians, a noted aca- was coerced into unwant- Britain's Prince Andrew accompanies Queen Elizabeth II to at-
tend a church service at St Mary the Virgin, in Hillington, Eng-
York mansion, U.S. Attorney demic, wealthy financiers ed sex acts. land, Sunday, Jan. 19, 2020.
Geoffrey Berman said pros- and the attorney Alan Der- Andrew, who is eight in line Associated Press
ecutors and the FBI had showitz, who is now part of for the British throne, and
contacted Andrew's law- President Donald Trump's Maxwell have both de- Jeffrey Epstein." have done what he did
yers and asked to interview impeachment defense nied any knowledge that "Of course, I am willing to without the assistance of
him. team. Epstein was sexually abus- help any appropriate law others, and I can assure
"To date, Prince Andrew All of those men have de- ing teenage girls. In a TV enforcement agency with you that the investigation
has provided zero coop- nied the allegations. Ep- interview last fall, Andrew their investigations, if re- is moving forward," Berman
eration," said Berman, the stein killed himself in his jail insisted he was out having quired," he wrote. said.
top federal prosecutor in cell last summer while he pizza with his children on Berman made his remarks Numerous women who
Manhattan. was awaiting trial on sex the night Giuffre says they about the case during said they were sexually
Buckingham Palace de- trafficking charges. were together in London. a joint appearance with abused by Epstein as teen-
clined to comment. Giuffre has said she had sex U.S. Attorney General Wil- members of Safe Horizon, agers have claimed in law-
Andrew announced last with Andrew three times, liam Barr has vowed to ag- a nonprofit victim services suits and interviews that he
year that he was withdraw- including once in London gressively investigate and agency, to discuss a new got help recruiting young
ing from his royal duties in 2001 at the home of Ep- bring charges against any- New York law that made girls from both Maxwell and
amid renewed public at- stein's girlfriend, Ghislaine one who may have helped it easier for people to sue several assistants.
tention on a woman's claim Maxwell. Epstein. over childhood sexual Giuffre's lawyers have, for
that she had several sexual It isn't clear what legal Andrew, in the statement abuse. months, been calling on
encounters with the prince exposure Andrew might he released in November He wouldn't discuss the Ep- Andrew to agree to be in-
announcing his intention to stein investigation in detail terviewed both by investi-
"step back from public du- but reiterated that the case gators and by the lawyers
Lawyer: Man charged ties," said he regretted his didn't end with his death. helping the women with

"ill-judged association with "Jeffrey Epstein couldn't those civil lawsuits.q
in Hanukkah attack

incompetent for trial

MONSEY, N.Y. (AP) — A Monday.
psychiatrist has found Graf- Thomas has pleaded not
ton Thomas incompetent guilty to attempted murder
to stand trial on federal and other charges in Rock-
hate crime charges stem- land County. He pleaded
ming from a machete at- not guilty to 10 hate-crime
tack at a Hanukkah party charges in federal court on
that wounded five Hasidic Jan. 13. Thomas is being
Jews, Thomas's attorney held without bail in federal
said Monday. custody.
Defense attorney Michael Investigators found anti-
Sussman said in a state- Semitic writings in Thomas's
ment that he has asked journals and articles on
a federal judge to hold a Jews and Nazis on his cell
competency evaluation phone, according to a
for Thomas, who was arrest- complaint filed by the U.S.
ed hours after a stabbing Attorney's Office.
attack on Dec. 28 in Mon- Sussman and Thomas'
sey, an Orthodox Jewish mother have said Thomas
community north of New suffers from mental illness
York City. and was not responsible
The federal court has giv- for his actions. Sussman has
en the U.S. Attorney's Of- said Thomas has no history
fice two weeks to respond of violent acts or anti-Sem-
to the application for a itism. One of the victims,
competency evaluation, 72-year-old Josef Neu-
Sussman said. The U.S. At- mann, remains in a coma
torney's Office declined to with a fractured skull and
comment to the media on other injuries.q