A woman who was abused and trafficked by the late financier Jeffrey Epstein has testified before members of the US Congress, claiming she had dinner at Prince Andrew's apartment within Buckingham Palace. Johanna Sjoberg's testimony marks the first occasion an Epstein victim has publicly stated they attended a royal residence, adding a new dimension to the long-running scandal surrounding the Duke of York.
Ms Sjoberg provided her account during a congressional hearing in the United States focused on the broader implications of the Epstein network and the failures in prosecuting those involved. Her statement, made under oath, places her inside the official residence of the British monarch, a location previously unmentioned in the public testimonies of other victims.
Prince Andrew has consistently denied any wrongdoing and has previously stated he had no knowledge of Epstein's illicit activities. In 2022, he reached an out-of-court settlement in a civil sexual assault lawsuit filed against him in the US by Virginia Giuffre, another Epstein victim. The settlement involved a substantial payment, though the exact figure was undisclosed, and Prince Andrew did not admit liability.
The Duke of York stepped back from public duties in 2019 following a controversial BBC Newsnight interview where he discussed his friendship with Epstein. He was subsequently stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages by Queen Elizabeth II in January 2022, with a statement from Buckingham Palace confirming he would defend the civil case as a private citizen.
This latest testimony from Ms Sjoberg reopens scrutiny of Prince Andrew's connections to Epstein and the extent of his knowledge or involvement. While the focus of the US congressional hearing was broader, Ms Sjoberg's specific claim about Buckingham Palace will undoubtedly draw significant attention in the UK and internationally, prompting renewed questions about the Duke's associations.