Prince Andrew seeks to dismiss sex assault lawsuit

NEW YORK — Lawyers for Prince Andrew asked a New York judge to throw out a lawsuit accusing the prince of sexually abusing an American when she was 17, saying the prince “never sexually abused or assaulted” the plaintiff.

In papers filed Friday in Manhattan federal court, an attorney for Andrew said the plaintiff, Virginia Giuffre, may well be a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of financier Jeffrey Epstein.

“However, and without diminishing the harm suffered as a result of Epstein’s alleged misconduct, Prince Andrew never sexually abused or assaulted Giuffre. He unequivocally denies Giuffre’s false allegations against him,” according to arguments signed by attorney Andrew Brettler.

Brettler asked that the lawsuit be dismissed or that lawyers for Giuffre be required to refile the lawsuit with a more definitive statement of her allegations.

“Giuffre has initiated this baseless lawsuit against Prince Andrew to achieve another payday at his expense and at the expense of those closest to him. Epstein’s abuse of Giuffre does not justify her public campaign against Prince Andrew,” the written arguments said.

Giuffre claimed in her August lawsuit that the prince abused her on multiple occasions in 2001. Andrew has said even before the court papers were filed that he never had sex with her.

The Associated Press does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Giuffre has.

Brettler, who has called the lawsuit “baseless,” had included in the arguments a copy of a 2009 settlement agreement that he believes protects his client from being sued.

According to the arguments on Andrew’s behalf, Giuffre’s 2009 settlement of sex trafficking and sexual abuse claims against Epstein included a general release of all claims against him and numerous other individuals and entities.

The pages of the settlement reached between Giuffre and Epstein were blacked out when they were included in Friday’s submission. The financier was found dead at age 66 in his cell in 2019 while awaiting a sex trafficking trial at a New York federal jail. His death was ruled a suicide.

A hearing in the case is scheduled for this week.