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Prince Andrew Sued by Jeffrey Epstein Accuser Virginia Giuffre: ‘I was trafficked to him’
One of the accusers of Jeffrey Epstein has filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew
Virginia Giuffre’s attorneys filed a lawsuit against the prince on Monday in the Manhattan federal court, the same court where Epstein has been criminally charged with sex trafficking a month prior to his suicide in August 2019. Back then, the American financier was staying in an adjacent federal jail, where he received the order to wait for his trial.
Giuffre, one of Epstein’s longtime accusers, created a significant impression to the public when she alleged that the British royal abused her when she was a minor.
She repeatedly let the public know her allegations against Jeffrey Epstein, his girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as Prince Andrew. However, this lawsuit serves as her first direct confrontation against the price in a formal setting.
Jeffrey Epstein Accuser Says She Was Trafficked to Prince Andrew
The lawsuit alleges that Prince Andrew, 61, performed sexual acts on Giuffre without her consent, even while knowing her age at the time. It adds that Giuffre was a victim of sexual trafficking, per a BBC report released Tuesday. The said case noted that the “extreme and outrageous conduct” of the prince has caused Giuffre to experience “significant emotional and psychological distress and harm” up to the present.
Giuffre sent a statement to Fox News where she revealed that she wanted to hold the prince accountable.
She said that her attorney filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against the prince, under the Child Victims Act. She confirms what the suit revealed, alleging that she was a victim of trafficking and that Prince Andrew abused her.
Giuffre then said that she intends to hold the prince accountable for what he had allegedly done. She also shared that she believes the rich and powerful are not above the law. Also, she expressed her hope for other victims to see that they do not have to “live in silence or peace” and instead, “reclaim life” by letting their voice be heard and “demanding justice.”
British Royal Denies Allegations
Buckingham Palace has not released any immediate responses to the suit. It has previously denied the allegations against the prince.
Back in late 2019, the prince told BBC Newsnight that he had never engaged in sexual acts with Giuffre. At the time, Giuffre was known as Virginia Roberts.
“It didn’t happen,” Prince Andrew stated.
The prince also claimed that he did not have any recollection of ever meeting Guiffre. Andrew noted that several things do not make sense about her account, which claims that their encounter happened in 2001.
Many critics slammed the said interview, stating that Andrew came off as insensitive to Epstein’s victims. Following this, the prince decided to withdraw from royal duties. Ever since, he had tried to keep a low profile.
For a long time, Giuffre has claimed that Maxwell managed to recruit her at 17 years old. She experienced sexual abuse from Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell from 1999 to 2002.
Probe Into the Crimes of Jeffrey Epstein Continues
The lawsuit sought unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. It stated that Andrew abused Giuffre several times while she was under 18. It also alleged that she received threats from Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to perform sexual acts with the British Royal.
It also alleged that one time, the trio forced her to engage in sex with the prince against her will. This allegedly took place in Maxwell’s home in London.
The lawsuit further alleges that the sexual abuses happened multiple times, in several of Epstein’s or Maxwell’s properties, including a New York mansion and even a private island found in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The attorneys filed Giuffre’s lawsuit under the Child Victims Act. The said act is a 2019 New York state law, allowing victims to make legal claims of abuse temporarily, primarily for those that occurred when they were kids, regardless of how long ago it happened.
Maxwell has been charged in Manhattan federal court for sex trafficking, to which she pleaded not guilty. She will face trial in November and she is currently being held without bail.
As part of the investigation into the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein, federal prosecutors from Manhattan formally asked to speak with Prince Andrew. The formal request, which is comparable to a subpoena, was made under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty.
Per Brad Edwards, a lawyer representing many of Epstein’s victims, the prince has failed to provide answers to civil lawsuits before.
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