The Prince Andrew Sexual Assault Case Is Taking Another Strange Turn
Virginia Roberts Giuffre's sexual assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew is getting even weirder. An October 29 court filing in New York shows the prince's legal troubles aren't going away. One thing many lawyers agree on? The British royal is in a tough spot. Mark Stephens, an international law attorney at London firm Howard Kennedy told USA Today, "There's no good outcome to this for Prince Andrew ... The best option for him is to not make anything worse." Legal sources also told the publication that the public thinks Andrew is already guilty "of poor judgment at best and sex crimes at worst."
Queen Elizabeth II's second son hasn't done himself any favors. In 2019, Andrew tried to defend himself after news about his friendship with Jeffery Epstein broke. The prince did an interview with BBC's "Newsnight," which turned into a disaster because Andrew appeared unsympathetic to Epstein's victims. Giuffre's attorney, Sigrid McCawley, told The Daily Telegraph she plans to use the interview as part of her case against Andrew, in fact. McCawley said, "Frankly, it was very helpful for us. I don't know who would have advised him to do that, it was a very wrong move on his part to expose himself in that way."
Giuffre's attorneys even claimed he tried to avoid being served the lawsuit in September. But wait until you read how Andrew's sexual assault case has taken another strange turn.
Prince Andrew asked to have the sexual assault case dismissed
Prince Andrew asked to have the sexual assault lawsuit filed by Virginia Roberts Giuffre dropped. Reuters reported that Andrew's attorneys asked a New York judge for the dismissal on October 29, saying Giuffre's lawsuit was "baseless" and she was trying "achieve another payday." In addition, the court filing claimed Andrew is released from liability due to a 2009 settlement between Giuffre and Jeffery Epstein.
According to CNN, the filing claims, "Accusing a member of the world's best known royal family of serious misconduct has helped Giuffre create a media frenzy online and in the traditional press. Epstein's abuse of Giuffre does not justify her public campaign against Prince Andrew." CNN also reported the filing repeated that Andrew "unequivocally denies Giuffre's false allegations against him."
On October 11, British police announced they would take no action in the Giuffre case. London's Metropolitan Police said it "continues to liaise with other law enforcement agencies who lead the investigation into matters related to Jeffrey Epstein." Giuffre's lawsuit alleges Epstein forced her to have sex with Andrew when she was only 17. Queen Elizabeth's embattled son appears to be off the hook in the U.K., but his next hearing in the U.S. on November 3 (per The Guardian) could alter the course of the case entirely.
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673)