NEW YORK (AP) — Prince Andrew desires a jury to make a decision a lawsuit by means of a sexual attack accuser if he can’t get the case pushed aside altogether, his attorneys stated in court docket papers Wednesday.
Virginia Giuffre, an American, has accused the British royal of sexually abusing her when she was once 17 whilst she traveled with financier Jeffrey Epstein. The request from Andrew’s attorneys was once inside of a line-by-line formal reaction to the lawsuit Giuffre filed in opposition to him in August in New york federal court docket.
Andrew has strenuously denied Giuffre’s allegations, and tried to get the lawsuit tossed. Previous this month, Pass judgement on Lewis A. Kaplan rejected his try to win an early dismissal, permitting depositions and different proof amassing by means of each events to transport ahead.
Wednesday’s reaction was once filed by means of Los Angeles lawyers Andrew Brettler and Melissa Lerner. They stated the lawsuit will have to be pushed aside on a number of grounds, once more bringing up Giuffre’s everlasting residency in Australia and a agreement over a decade previous between Epstein and Giuffre that Andrew’s attorneys contend prevents her from suing the prince. Additionally they argued that she consented to sexual job and the statute of boundaries has expired.
Giuffre asserted that she met Andrew whilst she traveled continuously with Epstein between 2000 and 2002, when her attorneys care for she was once “on name for Epstein for sexual functions” and was once “lent out to different tough males,” together with Andrew. Her lawsuit stated she nonetheless suffers vital emotional and mental misery and hurt.
Within the wake of the pass judgement on’s choice previous in January, Prince Andrew — who had already stepped again from royal tasks — was once stripped of his honorary army titles.
Epstein, 66, took his personal lifestyles in a New york federal lockup in August 2019 whilst he awaited trial on intercourse trafficking fees. Giuffre has additionally leveled allegations at Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s longtime better half, however was once no longer a part of the felony case that ended not too long ago with Maxwell’s conviction on intercourse trafficking fees.
The Related Press does no longer usually establish individuals who say they’re sufferers of sexual attack except they make a selection to come back ahead publicly, as Giuffre has.