However, the evidence that they were running some kind of Q-style child-sex ring catering to rich pedos ... is considerably more sketchy.
I don't think Andrew is, strictly-speaking 'innocent' because in this particular instance there's evidence of Giuffre texting a friend "I got to sleep with a Prince" (or words very much to that effect). I do think he probably slept with her.
However, she was 17 at the time, which is 'legal' in the large majority of the world (including most of the USA, and the UK), and there's no evidence Andrew was aware of Epstein victimizing much younger victims. I've also not seen evidence Andrew was aware Giuffre was 17 versus 18 at the time. She was not such a young-looking 17 year old such that I feel you can say he was definitely aware she was a minor.
While it's certainly 'creepy' for a 40 year old (ish) to sleep with a 17 year old, if he didn't know about Epstein's proclivities at time, I'm not entirely convinced he deserves *quite* the level of reprobation he's faced in the wake of this scandal. Additionally I've never read of OTHER women ... accusing Andrew of this sort of behaviour ... which certainly one would expect, had this sort of thing been a habit of his.
And as much as we all hate him at this point, the evidence against Dershowitz is ... sketchy as well.
https://www.thedailybeast.com/alan-dershowitz-on-new-epstein-docs-virginia-giuffres-email-and-manuscript-show-she-lied-about-sex-with-me
The pile of paperwork contained bad news for a raft of high-profile men, from former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson to New York billionaire Glenn Dubin, who were named by Giuffre as being involved in Epstein’s alleged sex-trafficking ring; they deny it.
But Dershowitz claims one document in particular also poses a problem for Giuffre: a 2011 email exchange between her and a British tabloid reporter who had interviewed her about her years under Epstein’s sway.
In the email, Giuffre told the Mail on Sunday reporter, Sharon Churcher, she was racing to meet a deadline for a draft of what she would later describe as a “fictionalized account” of what happened to her.
“Just wondering if you have any information on you from when you and I were doing interviews about the J.E. story,” Giuffre wrote Churcher.
“I wanted to put the names of some of the assholes, oops, I meant to say, pedo’s, that J.E. sent me to. With everything going on, my brain feels like mush and it would be a great deal of help!” Giuffre added.
The emails in the court file shows Churcher responded: “Don’t forget Alan Dershowitz… J.E.’s buddy and lawyer...good name for your pitch as he repped Claus von Bulow and a movie was made about that case… title was Reversal of Fortune. We all suspect Alan is a pedo and tho no proof of that, you probably met him when he was hanging out with JE.”
Giuffre’s reply contained no reference to Dershowitz, just a simple, “Thanks again Shazza, I’m bringing down the house with this book!!”
IMHO, it's not unreasonable to wonder just how accurate VG's recollection of events ... is.
To be clear, I'm not 'endorsing' Dershowitz' tweets, for the record.
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