Police probe Jeffrey Epstein’s time spent at Balmoral with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

Kirsty Wigglesworth/AP

Scottish police are investigating the time convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein spent with Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor at Balmoral, a private royal estate in Scotland which is a favored retreat for the monarchy.

“We have received information and active enquiries are ongoing but these are at a very early stage,” a Police Scotland spokesperson told CNN on Friday, without giving details about the investigation.

“All enquiries are evidence-led, with the needs of victim survivors at the heart of those enquiries,” the police spokesperson said. “We would never confirm details of ongoing enquiries and it would be inappropriate to comment further.”

British newspaper The Daily Express reported that the investigation was related to allegations women were “trafficked” to Balmoral.

Since the release of the Epstein files, Mountbatten-Windsor, known as Prince Andrew until his brother King Charles III stripped him of his titles, has faced a slew of allegations over his links to the late sex offender. He was arrested on suspicion of misconduct in public office in February and interviewed under caution before being released.

The scandal has left Mountbatten-Windsor’s already battered reputation in tatters and plunged Britain’s royal family into crisis.

Pictures previously released by US prosecutors in 2021 appear to show Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, the financier’s right-hand woman currently serving time in a US federal prison for sex trafficking and other crimes, at Balmoral in 1999.

US District Court for the Southern District of New York

Buckingham Palace has consistently said that it does not speak for Mountbatten-Windsor and does not comment on active police investigations.

Mountbatten-Windsor has vehemently denied any and all wrongdoing in his dealings with Epstein. Police have said their investigation into misconduct in public office, relating to his time as a trade envoy for Britain, is still ongoing.

CNN’s Sharon Braithwaite contributed reporting.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/美联社

苏格兰警方正在调查已定罪的性犯罪者杰弗里·爱泼斯坦与安德鲁·蒙巴顿-温莎在巴尔莫勒尔城堡共度的时光。巴尔莫勒尔城堡是苏格兰的一处私人皇家庄园，也是英国王室最喜欢的度假胜地。

苏格兰警方发言人周五告诉 CNN：“我们已经收到相关信息，目前正在积极调查，但调查仍处于非常早期的阶段。”但他没有透露调查的细节。

警方发言人表示：“所有调查均以证据为导向，并将受害者的需求放在首位。我们绝不会透露正在进行的调查的细节，也不宜作进一步评论。”

英国《每日快报》报道称，此次调查与有关女性被“贩卖”到巴尔莫勒尔的指控有关。

自爱泼斯坦案卷宗公开以来，蒙巴顿-温莎（在被其兄长查尔斯三世国王剥夺头衔前被称为安德鲁王子）因与已故性侵犯者爱泼斯坦的关系而面临一系列指控。他于今年2月因涉嫌渎职被捕，并在接受警方讯问后获释。

这场丑闻让蒙巴顿-温莎本已受损的声誉雪上加霜，并使英国王室陷入危机。

美国检察官在 2021 年公布的照片显示，1999 年，爱泼斯坦和吉斯莱恩·麦克斯韦（这位金融家的得力助手目前因性交易和其他罪行在美国联邦监狱服刑）在巴尔莫勒尔。

美国纽约南区地方法院

白金汉宫一直表示，它不代表蒙巴顿-温莎家族发言，也不会对正在进行的警方调查发表评论。

蒙巴顿-温莎强烈否认与爱泼斯坦的任何往来存在不当行为。警方表示，针对他担任英国贸易特使期间涉嫌渎职的调查仍在进行中。

CNN记者莎伦·布雷思韦特对此报道亦有贡献。