In a fallout of the Jeffery Epstein case, one of his sex-trafficking victims, Virginia Giuffre has sued the Prince Andrew (Queen Elizabeth II’s second son) in the US state of New York claiming he abused her when she was only 17.
Giuffre (now 38 years old) claims she was brought to the UK aged 17 to have sex with the Duke of York. She was an accuser of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, claims she was sexually assaulted by Prince Andrew in London and New York.
A spokeswoman for Prince Andrew, 61, said there was “no comment” on the case, which was filed under New York’s Child Victims Act.
The Prince has consistently denied the claims.
The case alleges the prince sexually abused Ms Giuffre – then known as Virginia Roberts – at the London home of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and at Epstein’s homes in Manhattan and Little St James in the US Virgin Islands.
It claims the prince engaged in sexual acts without her consent, knowing how old she was and “that she was a sex-trafficking victim”.
The case also says the “extreme and outrageous conduct” continues to cause Ms Giuffre, now 38, “significant emotional and psychological distress and harm”.
“In this country no person, whether president or prince, is above the law, and no person, no matter how powerless or vulnerable, can be deprived of the law’s protection,” the documents read.
“Twenty years ago Prince Andrew’s wealth, power, position, and connections enabled him to abuse a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her. It is long past the time for him to be held to account.”
Speaking about Ms Giuffre’s allegations in 2019, Prince Andrew said they “never happened”.
“It didn’t happen. I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” he told BBC Newsnight.
In a later statement, Prince Andrew said: “I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.
“His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.
“I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”
The narratives put forward by Ms Giuffre and Prince Andrew are a hundred miles apart.
Prince Andrew says he has no recollection of meeting Ms Giuffre, that he never had sex with her.
However, there is a photo that clearly shows him with his arm around Ms Giuffre in a location that Ghislaine Maxwell’s brother, Ian, has confirmed looks very much like her then London house.
Some “friends” of Prince Andrew have anonymously suggested that the photo is a fake. There is no evidence that this is the case.
One person close to the prince told the BBC recently that there was a simpler explanation – that he met thousands of people and that whilst he may have met Ms Giuffre, he simply couldn’t remember her.
Prince Andrew has said he will help law enforcement authorities with their enquiries into Jeffrey Epstein. His team pushed back very hard against the allegation from the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York that he had not offered assistance.
But they will see today’s lawsuit as a legal fishing expedition and will do everything they can to see that it goes no further.
The new legal complaint alleges that the prince and his representatives have rejected requests to provide “whatever facts, context or explanation he might have, and to explore alternative dispute resolution approaches”.
