Judge dismisses Prince Andrew’s bid to have sexual assault lawsuit dropped

Prince Andrew has failed in his attempt to have the sexual assault lawsuit against him thrown out after a federal judge dismissed the motion.

Virginia Giuffre is sueing the Prince, alleging he abused her in 2001. Giuffre alleges that Epstein trafficked her and made her have sex with his friends, claiming she was forced to have sex with the royal three times. Prince Andrew has denied these allegations and claims Guiffre is only after “another payday at his expense.”

In his ruling Judge Lewis Kaplan wrote, “Ms Giuffre’s complaint is neither ‘unintelligible’ nor ‘vague’ nor ‘ambiguous’.”

“It alleges discrete incidents of sexual abuse in particular circumstances at three identifiable locations. It identifies to whom it attributes that sexual abuse,” he wrote.

Lawyers for Prince Andrew argued the lawsuit violates a recently unsealed 2009 agreement between convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Giuffre which showed Epstein and Guiffre agreed not to sue anyone connected to Epstein who could be described as a “potential defendant.”

The document also revealed that Epstein had paid Giuffre $500,000 (AUD $695,300.00) to end her lawsuit against the Duke of York, Prince Andrew.

Giuffre’s lawyer, David Boies argued that the settlement is “irrelevant” to her claim against the Prince-which alleges sexual abuse by the royal in New York, London, and the US Virgin Islands.

“He could not have been a ‘potential defendant’ in the settled case against Jeffrey Epstein both because he was not subject to jurisdiction in Florida and because the Florida case involved federal claims to which he was not a part,” Boise told CNN.

Kaplan addressed the settlement in his ruling, telling the court that both sides put forth “reasonable interpretations” of the settlement’s meaning.

“The agreement therefore is ambiguous. Accordingly, the determination of the meaning of the release language in the 2009 Agreement must await further proceedings,” he wrote.
Prince Andrew’s friendship with the late Epstein along with the ongoing allegations against him has severely impacted the prince’s reputation,” he sad.

Prince Andrew has repeatedly denied the claims made by Giuffre. In an interview with BBC Newsnight he told Emily Maitlis, “It didn’t happen. I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened.”

“I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever,” he said.

DISCLAIMER: If you are concerned about violence or misconduct impacting you, your family, friends or workplace, the numbers below may help. National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service — 1800 737 732, Mensline Australia — 1300 789 978, Relationships Australia — 1300 364 277, BeyondBlue — 1300 224 636; Suicide Call Back Service — 1300 659 467; Headspace — 1800 650 890; Kids Helpline — 1800 551 800; Lifeline Australia — 13 11 14 for confidential support, advice and referral that will help you explore your options.