Prince Andrew slammed for lack of empathy for Jeffrey Epsteins victims in interview about his friendship with paedo

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PRINCE Andrew’s bombshell interview has been blasted as a “car crash” as viewers slam the royal having no empathy for his paedo pal Jeffrey Epstein’s alleged victims.

The Duke of York spoke during an ‘unvetted’ questions interview with BBC2 Newnight’s Emily Maitlis tonight about his links with the disgraced millionaire.

Prince Andrew was slammed by viewers for his ‘lack of empathy’ in his interview
The interview will air on BBC Newsnight's Emily Maitlis
The interview will air on BBC Newsnight’s Emily Maitlis

Andrew denied he had sex with 17-year-old Virginia Roberts in 2001 after going to Tramps nightclub in London, claiming he was at a Pizza Express in Woking with his daughter Princess Beatrice.

Ms Roberts claims she had sex with the prince three times – which he strongly denies.

The 59-year-old also said he didn’t regret his friendship with Epstein, who he referred to as “Jeffrey”, because met “useful” people through him.

Prince Andrew described his pal’s behaviour as a convicted sex offender as “unbecoming”.

Many viewers slammed the Queen’s third child saying he had a lack of empathy for the alleged victims.

One said: “How about Im sorry for associating with Epstein in the first place?

“Im sorry for having an ongoing friendship with him knowing he is a convicted sex offender and now proven human trafficker?

“How about EMPATHY for the victims? No remorse, compassion or reaction #PrinceAndrew”

One called him a “monster and said: “No condemnation of the sex offender he befriended. No empathy for his victims. #PrinceAndrew is a cold-blooded monster.”

Another wrote: “#PrinceAndrew I am staggered that not once did he say he had empathy for Epstein’s victims! Who advised him!!?”

Ms Maitlis grilled Prince Andrew on whether he had any regret or shame about his friendship with the convicted sex offender.

Andrew said: “Do I regret the fact that he has quite obviously conducted himself in a manner unbecoming? Yes.”

Ms Maitlis replied: “Unbecoming? He was a sex offender.”

He clarified: “Yeah, Im sorry, Im being polite, I mean in the sense that he was a sex offender.”

‘UNBECOMING’

Others were horrified that the prince descried Epstein’s actions “unbecoming”.

One wrote: “Unbecoming.. he was a sex offender..Im sorry Im being polite..

“What a way to end that train wreck of an interview.. WOW #PrinceAndrew”

Another added: “Not a care for the girls trafficked, raped. Remains good friends with Gishlain Maxwell procurer of underage girls and remembers Epstein fondly and finds his conduct as unbecoming and his own letting the side down seems to be equating himself worse than Epstein #PrinceAndrew”

This viewer called the prince a 'monster'
This viewer called the prince a ‘monster’
This viewer slammed Prince Andrew for this lack of empathy
This viewer slammed Prince Andrew for this lack of empathy
Others were horrified when Prince Andrew described Epstein's actions as 'unbecoming'
Others were horrified when Prince Andrew described Epstein’s actions as ‘unbecoming’
This viewer was also horrified with the interview
This viewer was also horrified with the interview
This woman slammed Prince Andrew and he was lacking empathy
This woman slammed Prince Andrew and he was lacking empathy

When pressed about why the royal stayed friends with Epstein after his conviction, Prince Andrew laughed as he said: ” I stayed with him and thats the bit that, as it were, I kick myself for on a daily basis because it was not something that was becoming of a member of the royal family and we try and uphold the highest standards and practices and I let the side down, simple as that.”

Jeremy Vine tweeted a clip of Andrew laughing and wrote: “He was doing fine until he laughed.”

The royal was infamously pictured with his arm around Virginia when she was 17 at a party thrown by Epstein
The royal was infamously pictured with his arm around Virginia when she was 17 at a party thrown by Epstein

Prince Andrew, pictured with Jeffrey Epstein in New York in 2010

The embattled Duke of York has faced continued scrutiny over his relationship with Epstein, who hanged himself in August while awaiting trial for sex trafficking charges.

Andrew was infamously pictured with his arm around Ms Roberts at Ghislaine Maxwell’s home in London in 2001.

The Duke was last pictured with Epstein in New York in 2010 after the hedge fund manager had been released from prison and was a registered sex offender – which he said tonight he regrets going to the Big Apple to see him.

Ms Roberts has claimed she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times between 1999 and 2002 in London, New York and on Epsteins private Caribbean island.

In 2015, a US judge struck out Ms Roberts’ allegations against the Prince for being “immaterial and impertinent”.

The Duke said he was on a date in Boston when Virginia said she was trafficked to him in New York.

Epstein was first jailed in 2008 for procuring an underage girl for prostitution. He got an 18-month sentence, during which he was able to go on work release to his office six days a week. He was released on probation after 13 months.

This July he was arrested on sex trafficking allegations. On August 10 he was found hanged at the New York Metropolitan Correctional Centre three weeks after being found unconscious with neck injuries.

Checks were not carried out on the night in question, and CCTV appeared to have malfunctioned. Officials are investigating.

 Epstein, who wasfound hanged in jail earlier this year, had been friends with Andrew since 1999
Epstein, who wasfound hanged in jail earlier this year, had been friends with Andrew since 1999