King Charles should meet Epstein victims, US lawmaker says

1 hour agoSareen HabeshianGetty ImagesA US lawmaker is calling on King Charles to meet the survivors of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein when the monarch visits the US.While not officially confirmed, the King and Queen Camilla are reportedly planning a visit at the end of April. Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna, who co-sponsored a law that compelled the US justice department to release the Epstein files last year, is calling on the King to privately meet victims to hear from them directly about "how powerful individuals and institutions failed them"."As you are aware, this is not solely an American matter," Khanna wrote in a letter to the King on Monday.The Palace has previously expressed that the King's "sympathies have been, and remain with, the victims of any and all forms of abuse".In his letter, Khanna said: "Epstein's network had significant ties to the United Kingdom through Ghislaine Maxwell, through Epstein's relationships with British public figures, and through the social and political circles in which he operated."These connections, he wrote, "raise broader questions about how Epstein was able to maintain influence, credibility, and protection across borders for so long".The California lawmaker also noted that members of Congress have sought testimony from the King's brother, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, as well as Peter Mandelson, the UK's former ambassador to the US, about their ties to Epstein. Mountbatten-Windsor, who was stripped of his titles last year due to his ties with Epstein, cannot be forced by a subpoena to go to the US and has not responded to the request.He has consistently and strenuously denied any wrongdoing in his associations with Epstein.If the King's US trip does happen, he and Queen Camilla are expected to visit Washington, where they will meet President Donald Trump, and according to US media reports, address Congress. The visit would come ahead of the 250th anniversary of the US Declaration of Independence in July.The BBC has contacted Buckingham Palace for comment. It related to Andrew's time as the UK's trade representative between 2001-2011, and followed a series of allegations that he shared official documents with Epstein.In 2022, Mountbatten-Windsor reached an out-of-court settlement with his most prominent accuser, Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was 17. The settlement contained no admission of liability.