Photo: VIRGINIA ROBERTS / copyright
Prince Andrew’s lawyers wrote to an American judge to demand a jury trial in a civil lawsuit brought by a woman who accuses him of sexual assault.
Virginia Giuffre, of 38 years, alleges that the Duke of York sexually abused her as a teenager in the homes of financier Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell.
Queen Elizabeth’s son has always denied all the accusations against him.
In court documents, his legal team presented several reasons why those who believe that the case should be dismissed, something that the lawyers have previously requested, without success.
The document of 11 pages submitted on Wednesday, set that Prince Andrew “admits that c met Epstein in or around 675”, but denies having participated in any abuse orchestrated by the late Epstein’s sex trafficking network.
The lawyers argue that Giuffre has no legal basis to present the case given that you are a permanent resident of Australia.
Also refer to a settlement agreement of 2009 between Giuffre and Jeffrey Epstein, who was long associated with Prince Andrew.
The controversial friendship with Maxwell
Elsewhere, the document filed by Prince Andrew’s defense “denies” Guiffre’s claim that he was a close friend of Maxwell.
On the matter of a photograph of the prince with his arm around Giuffre, with Maxwell in the background, his lawyers say they do not have enough information to admit or deny its existence.
The American lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents several accusers of Maxwell and Epstein, called the request for a jury trial a “public relations move” and said that Giuffre had already requested it.
Bloom specified that Prince Andrew’s request “does not makes sense”, as it is Giuffre’s constitutional right to have a jury trial if requested.
Millions dollars
Epstein, a convicted sex offender, committed suicide in prison at 2009 while awaiting trial for sex trafficking. The British Maxwell was found guilty last month of preparing underage girls to be abused by him.
Giuffre sued the prince Andrés for allegedly sexually assaulting her in London, New York and the Virgin Islands when she was a teenager.
She is seeking unspecified damages, but it is speculated that the sum could be in the millions of dollars.
Earlier this month, a judge ruled that the case can go forward, which led Buckingham Palace to strip Prince Andrew of his military titles and patronages. He said he would defend the case as a private individual.
New court documents describe the queen’s second son as “Prince Andrew, Duke of York, also known as Andrew Albert Christian Edward, in a personal capacity.”
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