It’s time for Andrew to clear his name in US, says Britain
PRINCE Andrew must return to the US to face questions over sex claims against him, an exclusive poll in America and Britain reveals.
The allegations against the Duke of York have also damaged the image of the Royal Family, according to people on both sides of the Atlantic.
The Sunday Express-commissioned survey, conducted in the US and UK, found almost nine out of 10 people in Britain – 88.31 per cent – want him to submit to questioning in America over accusations of rape and sexual assault.
The result in the US poll, which asked: “Do you think Prince Andrew should return to the US to answer the sex claims made against him?”, was equally overwhelming, with 79.72 per cent saying he should.
The allegations against Andrew have damaged the image of the Royal Family, said 76.92 per cent of Britons, while 68.63 per cent of Americans agreed.
The twin polls were run by Onepulse, the real-time opinion platform. Each asked the same set of questions.
Quizzed whether they thought “Prince Andrew will ever return to life as a working member of the Royal Family”, 83.22 per cent said that they believed he would not, while 72.13 per cent of Americans said the Prince wouldn’t make a comeback.
The results will come as a devastating blow to Andrew. A preliminary court hearing is already scheduled for next month and one prominent attorney has warned that the Prince has “no good option” left.
On September 13, Manhattan Federal Court judge Lewis Kaplan will decide whether to serve the Queen’s 61-year-old son with a lawsuit if he or his legal team have not yet responded to the claims.
The Duke cannot be compelled to answer the civil case filed last week by Virginia Giuffre, an alleged “sex slave” of Andrew’s friend, the late paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
She alleges she was sexually abused by the Prince at least three times when she was aged 17.
But if he fails to respond within 21 days, he risks forfeiting the case, with an automatic court finding against him and a claim for damages that some legal experts believe could run into tens of millions of dollars.
Our poll today reveals an overwhelming majority of Americans believe, just like people in Britain, that Andrew should answer Ms Giuffre whose lawsuit accuses him of sexual battery, sexual abuse and “rape in the first degree”.
The Prince, who is with the Queen in Balmoral, where he is reportedly having crisis talks with his brother Prince Charles, now faces a double dilemma over the scandal.
If he were to swear an affidavit or give testimony in the civil case brought by Ms Giuffre, anything he might say could be used in future criminal cases being built by the FBI, which also wants to question him over his friendship with Epstein.
This was confirmed by Melissa Murray, a professor of law at New York University, who said: “Any evidence that emerges in a civil case can be used to inform future criminal charges.”
Prof Murray added that the Prince could make an offer to settle the case but there is no guarantee such an offer would be accepted and could also backfire on him. “Settling could be seen as saying that there was some truth to it.”
Her view is supported by prominent New York civil defence attorney Albert D’aquino, who starkly declared: “There’s no good option. I don’t think he will submit to the court’s authority to order him to give a deposition, or to answer questions on which he wishes to demur. He runs too much risk of self-incrimination, which could then spawn a criminal action against him.”
Texas-based women’s rights attorney Michelle Tuegel warned that Andrew could also be hit with a contempt charge by the judge, if he fails to respond to Ms Giuffre’s claims – which he has always strenuously denied.
That would not mean the duke could be extradited from Britain “but he could be subject to arrest if a judge charges him and he then tries to travel to the US,” said Ms Tuegel.
She added: “I expect he is going to continue to try to do what he has already done, which is to avoid, not respond and not co-operate. But that could come with some very negative consequences for him in the civil system.” The Duke
‘He can ignore Virginia but he can’t ignore the judicial process.
This is for the courts to decide’
has reportedly instructed London criminal defence solicitor Gary Bloxsome to help plot his next move. Mr Bloxsome has defended British troops against war crimes allegations as well as footballers in assault cases.
David Boies, the attorney representing Ms Giuffre – known by her maiden name Roberts when the alleged incidents took place – said last week: “He can ignore me and he can ignore Virginia, which is what he’s been doing for the last five years. But he can’t ignore judicial process. This is now a matter for the courts to decide.”