ROYAL LAWSUIT
Prince Andrew sued by Epstein victim Virginia Roberts in lawsuit accusing him of sexually abusing her as a teenager
PRINCE Andrew is being sued by Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre as she accused him of sexually abusing her when she was just 17.
The 38-year-old is suing the Duke of York over allegations that he abused her at the disgraced financier's Manhattan home, on his private Caribbean island, and at Ghislaine Maxwell's home in London.
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Her lawsuit comes almost two years to the day after Epstein, 66, was found dead in a New York jail awaiting trial for conspiracy and child sex trafficking charges.
Prince Andrew, 61, has always denied any allegations that he had sexual contact with Ms Giuffre or that he had any knowledge of Epstein's wrongdoing.
Andrew is named as the only defendant in the 15-page suit, brought under New York state's Child Victims Act, though Epstein and his former girlfriend Maxwell are mentioned frequently throughout.
It is the first time he has been subject to a lawsuit over the case since the allegations against him were made public ten years ago.
Ms Giuffre is seeking unknown amounts of compensation and punitive damages over the allegations.
Questions are now swirling about what is next for Andrew - with the Duke not enjoying the same diplomatic immunity held by his mum, The Queen.
US officials have previously said they are not seeking to extradite Andrew, and this may not apply to Ms Giuffre's case as it is civil suit rather than a criminal prosecution.
However, Andrew may avoid ever setting foot in the US again.
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Court documents claim Ms Giuffre was "lent out for sexual purposes" by convicted sex offender Epstein including while she was still a minor under US law.
The documents state she was "compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew, and feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth and authority".
The Duke allegedly engaged in the sexual acts without Ms Giuffre's consent, while aware of her age and while "knowing that she was a sex-trafficking victim", the documents claim.
The docs add the alleged assaults "have caused, and continue to cause her, significant emotional and psychological distress and harm".
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
Virginia Roberts Giuffre
"Prince Andrew's actions, described above, constitute extreme and outrageous conduct that shocks the conscience," the lawsuit stated as it described the emotional distress suffered by Ms Giuffre.
"Prince Andrew's sexual abuse of a child who he knew was a sex-trafficking victim, and when he was approximately 40 years old, goes beyond all possible bounds of decency and is intolerable in a civilised community," it added.
Giuffre’s lawyer, Davide Boies, told her window to act was closing: “If she doesn't do it now, she would be allowing him to escape any accountability for his actions.
“And Virginia is committed to trying to avoid situations where rich and powerful people escape any accountability for their actions.”
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Her lawsuit was filed under New York State's Child Victims Act, which was introduced in 2019 to allow more historic abuse cases to be filed.
Previously in New York state, victims had up to five years after they turned 18 to file a claim, but the Act - which expires on August 14 - gave all victims a one-off window to make a case, regardless of how historic their claim was.
In a statement Ms Giuffre, who lives in Australia, said: "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.
"I did not come to this decision lightly. As a mother and a wife, my family comes first. I know that this action will subject me to further attacks by Prince Andrew and his surrogates.
“But I knew that if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down.”
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She first accused the Duke of sexual abuse in public documents in December 2014, as part of a case brought by alleged Epstein victims.
Ms Giuffre also claimed that she was instructed by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell to have sex with Andrew on three occasions in 2001.
Buckingham Palace “emphatically” denied the claims, as has Maxwell, stating that the allegations were “false.”
In a previous statement, the Palace said: "It is emphatically denied that The Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts.
"Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation."
The lawsuit also includes a copy of the photo of Prince Andrew standing beside Ms Giuffre in London, and flight records from Epstein's private planes.
She claims that they indicate that she was a frequent passenger on the jet, and flew to destinations in the US and other countries whilst under 18.
Since denying the allegations Ms Giuffre’s lawyers claim that they have made multiple attempts to contact the Duke and his legal team but have been ignored.
According to her lawyer the latest letter sent to Prince Andrew was sent last month, and warned that a lawsuit could be filed.
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The American claims she had sex with Prince Andrew in a toilet when she was 17, after a night where he had been plying her with vodka in a posh London club.
She claims she first met the royal dad-of-two on a trip to London in 2001 when she was 17 and Epstein and Maxwell were also there.
The Prince strongly denied having sex with her in London and New York, and a year later at an orgy on Epstein’s private island in the Virgin Islands.
Roberts says her account is “99 per cent true” but her own lawyers have described it as “fictionalised”.
She was 18 when she had her third alleged sexual encounter with the royal on Little St James Island, where she says he engaged in an orgy with nine girls.
In a infamous Newsnight interview with the BBC's Emily Maitlis in November 2019, Andrew denied claims that he slept with Ms Giuffre and said he had "no recollection" of ever meeting her.
He also said he has no memory of the well-known photograph of him with his arm around Ms Giuffre's waist at Maxwell's house, and has questioned whether it was his own hand in the image.
The fallout from the interview saw the royal criticised for showing a lack of empathy towards Epstein's victims and a lack of remorse over his friendship with disgraced financier.
Andrew quit his royal duties and publicly promised to co-operate with US authorities investigating Epstein's crimes, though has since faced a war of words between his camp and American authorities over his availability to answer questions.
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Espstein hanged himself in his prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex-trafficking offences.
Maxwell was arrested last July and is set to go on trial in November for allegedly recruiting underage girls for sex for the disgraced New York financier.
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She has pleaded not guilty to all charges.
The Sun has contacted a representative for Prince Andrew.
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Prince Andrew says he has no recollection of meeting Virginia Roberts and explains their picture together during BBC Newsnight interview
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