Prince Andrew must respond to allegations of sexual abuse filed in a United States court, the lawyer for the woman who filed a lawsuit against the son of Queen Elizabeth II told the BBC.
“She cannot hide behind wealth and palace walls,” said David Boies, Virginia Giuffre’s defender,
The woman filed a civil lawsuit in New York in which accuses the Duke of York of sexual assault when she had 17 years.
The prince has vehemently rejected the accusations. A spokeswoman said there will be no comment on this case.
Lawyer Boies said on the BBC’s Newsnight program that his client had “done everything possible to resolve this dispute.”
He noted that Giuffre, who also charged the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein , wants a judge and jury to hear the evidence he has.
“At this point, litigation is the only way to establish once and for all what the truth is. And the litigation is the only way to establish once and for all what the evidence about Prince Andrew really is “, said Boies.
The lawyer considered that” it would be very inadvisable “for the duke of York ignored the judicial process.
Giuffre , assures his lawyer, he intends to send a message to rich and powerful men.
He wants to expose that a behavior such as the one who denounces “it is not acceptable”, explained Boies, and that someone like this “cannot hide behind wealth, power and the walls of a palace.”
What is the Duke accused of?
The complaint states that Prince Andrew sexually abused Giuffre, that At that time his surname was Roberts, in three places.
One was a house in London that belonged to Ghislaine Maxwell , Epstein’s partner. And the other two were Epstein residences in New York and the Virgin Islands.
The Duke of York, accuses Giuffre, participated in sexual acts without her consent, even knowing that she was a minor and “that she was a victim of sex trafficking.”
The lawsuit also alleges that this “extreme and outrageous conduct ”Continues to cause“ significant emotional and psychological distress and damage ”to Giuffre, who now has 38 years.
“In this country no person, whether president or prince, it is above the law, and no person, no matter how powerless or vulnerable, can be deprived of the protection of the law, ”the lawsuit reads.
“Does 20 years, wealth, power, position and Prince Andrew’s connections allowed him to abuse a scared and vulnerable girl with no one to protect her. It has been a long time to be held accountable. ”
What the prince said
Speaking about Giuffre’s accusations, Prince Andrew said in 2019 that he did not remember meeting her.
“It didn’t happen. I can tell you categorically that it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady at all, ”he said.
In a later statement, he elaborated: “I continue to unequivocally regret my relationship misjudged with Jeffrey Epstein ”.
“ His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathize with all who have been affected and they want some kind of conclusion. ”
“ I can only hope that, in time, they can rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to assist any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if necessary, ”he said.
The Giuffre’s indictment was filed under the New York State Child Victims Law, which allows prospects Victims of child sexual abuse present a case that had already prescribed.
The legal course is civil, in which it is required a monetary compensation .
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