How Epstein survivors plan to gatecrash King’s US state visit
Epstein survivors will hold high-profile meetings and protests in Washington DC to mark King Charles’ state visit, Metro has learned.
Virginia Giuffre’s family will join a meeting with survivors and a top US lawmaker hours before the King addresses Congress on Tuesday.
Separately, Epstein survivor Rina Oh and other advocates will hold a ‘live art protest’ in front of the White House as the Monarch meets Donald Trump inside.
The events could pile more pressure on the Monarch over his brother Andrew’s links to the paedophile financier and the Royal Family’s response to the scandal.
The King and Queen have said they are not able to meet survivors during their state visit, despite pleas from lawmaker Ro Khanna.
The Democrat politician, who was the co-author of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, will instead host a roundtable on the morning of Charles’ speech to Congress, Metro has been told.
Khanna will meet Epstein survivor Sharlene Rochard, leading advocacy organisations and Sky and Amanda Roberts, the brother and sister-in-law of Virginia Roberts.
The Washington event ‘will discuss the realities of trafficking and sexual assault, the failures in the current systems and concrete actions Congress can take to better protest survivors and prevent abuse’.
The roundtable comes days after an emotional memorial vigil for Giuffre on Saturday, who died aged 41 a year ago at her home in Australia.
She claimed she was trafficked to Andrew Mount-Batten Windsor and sexually assaulted by him, which he denied.
Attendees at the roundtable could use the event to repeat their calls for the King to meet Epstein survivors and publicly declare his support for victims.
Buckingham Palace has maintained that Charles and Camilla cannot meet survivors because it risks prejudicing legal proceedings taking place in the UK, including against the former Duke of York.
The King arrives in Washington on Monday before a state banquet that evening. Charles will then deliver his address to Congress on Tuesday before travelling to New York.
Epstein survivor Rina Oh will hold her own art protest on Tuesday, calling on the King to fund mental health support and scholarship places for survivors.
The campaigner, who was groomed and sexually assaulted by Epstein from the age of 21, will gather with survivors and advocates at Lafayette Square Park outside the White House on Tuesday.
They will set up a live art installation featuring a ‘male figure covered in redactions’, as well as English afternoon tea, with a seat free for Charles to join.
Oh said: ‘I was not invited to the garden party the King is attending.
‘I will be hosting my own tea party with a reserved seat for Charles to join me for a few minutes to hear the story of survivors like myself, who are continuing to live through the nightmares of being abused by one of the worst prolific convicted sex predators.’
She added: ‘I hope he does the right thing and meets with the survivors for a few minutes.’
Oh is specifically calling for the Royal Family to put money towards expanded mental health funding for survivors.
She also wants the King to create a scholarship fund to support vocational training and higher education for more than 1,000 young women and children impacted by Jeffrey Epstein.
Oh said: ‘I want the King to prove he meant it when he released a statement saying he supports the victims of Jeffrey Epstein.’
Ro Khanna said of his separate roundtable with survivors: ‘The British Monarchy can be seen a relic of colonialism and imperialism or it can be a modern force for standing up for women’s rights and human rights.
‘I hope he will consider meeting the survivors or calling for accountability in his address.’
Despite not meeting Epstein victims, Queen Camilla will be meeting campaigners against domestic abuse during her engagements.
What has Buckingham Palace said?
Palace spokesperson: ‘As we have previously guided, it will not be possible during the State Visit for a meeting to take place of the kind that has been suggested.
‘We fully understand and appreciate the survivors’ and their advocates’ position, but can only reiterate that anything arising from such meeting that could potentially impact on ongoing police inquiries and assessments, and any potential legal action that could result from that, would be to the detriment of the survivors themselves in their pursuit of justice.’
‘His Majesty’s constitutional position, not least with regards to the judicial process, is such that even though the risk may be small that a meeting or any public comments could impact on the proper course of the law, that is a risk that we simply can’t take, for the best interest of the survivors themselves.
‘We would however point you to the robust comments and unprecedented actions that The King and Queen have taken in relation to this issue previously, particularly Her Majesty’s long-term advocacy in support for the victims and survivors of all forms of domestic and sexual abuse.’
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