Epstein accuser files suit against Prince Andrew
A VICTIM of Jeffrey Epstein last night filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in New York, seeking damages over alleged sexual abuse when she was “a child”.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims in the suit that she suffered “intentional infliction of emotional distress” following the alleged rape two decades ago.
The suit was filed at the Southern District of New York just days before the expiration date of a city law that permits alleged victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil claims that might otherwise be barred by statutes of limitations. Ms Giuffre, now 38, claims that she was recruited as a teenager by British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, and was assaulted by Epstein and a number of the paedophile financier’s high-profile friends – including the Duke of York.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages from Prince Andrew, who has denied all allegations of wrongdoing, as has Ms Maxwell. “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,” the lawsuit states.
Ms Giuffre says Epstein forced her to have sex with the Duke when she was 17 at the London home of Ms Maxwell, as well as at Epstein’s Manhattan town house and on his Caribbean island.
“Maxwell forced plaintiff, a child, and another victim to sit on Prince Andrew’s lap as Prince Andrew touched her. During his visit to New York, Prince Andrew forced plaintiff to engage in sex acts against her will,” the suit states.
Ms Giuffre’s lawyer wrote she “feared death or physical injury to herself ” if she disobeyed Epstein and Ms Maxwell’s orders.
While she was above the legal age of consent in the UK, she would have been considered a child because she was under 18.
Ms Giuffre alleges in the filing that the Duke was aware of her age. The Duke declined to comment last night.
Ms Giuffre, who lives in Australia with her husband and children, sued Ms Maxwell for defamation in 2015 after the 59-year-old accused her of lying about the abuse. They settled out of court.
“I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but one can reclaim her life by speaking out and demanding justice,” Ms Giuffre said, via her lawyers, in a statement.
The Duke cannot be compelled to travel to the US to answer the suit, but he could be forced to hand over phone records and private correspondence.
Federal prosecutors in New York along with the FBI have asked to interview Prince Andrew as part of their ongoing criminal investigation into Ms Maxwell, who was charged last year with the sexual trafficking of a minor. She pleaded not guilty and awaits trial.
Ms Giuffre’s lawyers contend they have made several attempts to engage with the Duke and his advisers but said their efforts have been ignored.