Image source, Virginia Roberts
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Virginia Giuffre, then named Roberts, pictured with Prince Andrew in London in 2001.
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A woman from the United States who claims she was taken to the UK when she was 17 to have sex with Prince Andrew has filed a civil lawsuit in New York accusing him of abusing her.
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Virginia Giuffre, who was one of the women who accused Jeffrey Epstein, a financial mogul who was convicted of sex crimes and later committed suicide in prison, says she was sexually assaulted by the prince in London and New York.
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The Duke of York has repeatedly denied Giuffre’s allegations.
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Giuffre’s lawsuit cites New York’s Child Victims of Abuse Act, which expands victims’ rights to bring alleged abusers to justice.
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In 2019, in an interview on the BBC’s Newsnight program, Prince Andrew said of Giuffre’s allegations: “It didn’t happen. Of course I can tell you categorically that it never happened. I don’t remember ever seeing this woman.”
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In a statement following Epstein’s death, he said: “I continue to unequivocally regret my reckless association with Jeffrey Epstein. His suicide has left many unanswered questions, especially for his victims, and I deeply sympathize with all who have been affected and who need to turn the page. ”
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“I can only hope that, with time, they will be able to rebuild their lives,” added the prince, who also said he was willing to collaborate with the investigation if necessary.
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The new lawsuit claims that the duke and his representatives “have refused to provide any context or explanation and to explore alternative approaches to resolve the dispute.”
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The BBC has contacted Buckingham Palace and representatives of the Duke of York for their comments.
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The lawsuit claims that the son of Elizabeth II sexually abused Giuffre, then known as Virginia Roberts, at the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s partner, and also in properties on this one in Manhattan and Little St James, in the US Virgin Islands.
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Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to federal charges of conspiring with Epstein in the abuse of four minors. The start of the trial is scheduled for November.
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The New York Juvenile Victims law was outlined by the state governor, Andrew Cuomo, as a milestone on the “road to justice” for those who suffered abuse before they came of age and who seek redress and punishment for those responsible years later.
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