Jeffrey Epstein's accuser sues Prince Andrew in NY court for alleged underage sex abuse
Virginia Giuffre said the royal sexually abused her at Ghislaine Maxwell's London home.
By AFP | Updated:
NEW YORK: Britain's Prince Andrew was sued in a New York court on Monday for alleged sexual abuse of a woman who says she was "lent out" for underage sex by late US financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The filing at the US district court in Manhattan said Virginia Giuffre was the plaintiff in the case against the defendant, named as "Prince Andrew, Duke of York."
Giuffre alleged in the filing that she "was regularly abused by Epstein and was lent out by Epstein to other powerful men for sexual purposes.
"One such powerful man... was the Defendant, Prince Andrew."
According to the complaint, Giuffre said Andrew sexually abused her at the London home of socialite Ghislaine Maxwell more than 20 years ago, when she was under 18.
"Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew forced (the) Plaintiff, a child, to have sexual intercourse with Prince Andrew against her will," it said.
ADVERTISEMENT
Andrew, 61, has vehemently denied claims he had sex with Giuffre, and said he has no recollection of meeting her, but the allegations threaten to damage the British royal family.
Dropped from royal duties Andrew, the Queen's second son, stepped back from royal duties in 2019 over his friendship with Epstein.
Giuffre also claims Andrew abused her at Epstein's New York mansion and on Little St. James, Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands.
ADVERTISEMENT
Giuffre, now 38, is suing Andrew under the Child Victims Act as she was 17 at the time. Epstein was a multimillion-dollar hedge fund manager who befriended celebrities including former president Bill Clinton and Bill Gates.
ADVERTISEMENT
He killed himself in jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking minors.
The court papers included a photograph alleged to show Andrew and Giuffre at Maxwell's London home before one incident of sexual abuse.
Maxwell in April pleaded not guilty in court to charges of recruiting underage girls for Epstein.
She allegedly befriended girls with shopping and movie theater outings, and later coaxed them into giving Epstein nude massages during which he would engage in sex acts.
Giuffre, who has previously made her claims in television interviews, is suing Andrew for "exemplary, and punitive damages."
"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," she said in a media statement.
"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."
The British monarchy was also rocked in March by a TV interview in which Prince Harry and his wife Meghan raised allegations of racism and bullying in the royal family.
Prince Andrew And His Dodgy Friendships With Epstein, Gaddafi's Son & Kazakh Billionaire
1/5
The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, has found himself in hot water over his friendships with dictators, fixers, and even a convicted paedophile.
Known for dating models and actresses, Britain’s Prince Andrew, who had earned himself the nickname “party prince”, is in trouble over links to the now deceased American sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and accusations of paedophilia. It would be far from the first time the 59-year-old has courted controversy. In the past, the Duke of York, eighth in line to the crown, has made headlines, mostly for some dodgy friendships.
(Image: AP)
The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, has found himself in hot water over his friendships with dictators, fixers, and even a convicted paedophile.Known for dating models and actresses, Britain’s Prince An..
Read More
Saif, the second son of Muammar Gaddafi and once seen as the heir apparent to the Libyan dictator, was the suave, English-speaking, reformist face of the Libyan regime. However, following the revolution in 2011, he was also being accused of using lethal force on protesters, torture, enslavement and crimes against humanity. He was also allegedly friends with Prince Andrew. And though the royal family denied this as being the case, a report in Daily Mail quoted sources as saying that the Prince met Gaddafi in Libya in 2008, and privately on two other occasions. The scandal broke in 2011, just as the royal family was preparing for the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, and there were talks that Andrew’s links to Gaddafi — and a string of other notorious Middle East tycoons — might result in him being stripped of his title and duties.
(Image: http://ronpaulinstitute.org)
Saif, the second son of Muammar Gaddafi and once seen as the heir apparent to the Libyan dictator, was the suave, English-speaking, reformist face of the Libyan regime. However, following the revolut..
Read More
Among the Duke of York’s responsibilities was to be UK’s trade representative, and Andrew exploited this luxury travel to a point that he was called ‘Air Miles Andrew’ in the media. Among the many people he met was the Azerbaijan president who was accused of several human rights violations. These meetings included a formal lunch at the Buckingham Palace and four meetings at the annual Davos forum. Andrew also visited Baku just weeks after a highly disputed election in 2010. There were also talks that he may have business interests in the oil-rich country, including a golf resort off the Caspian Sea, although the palace denied these reports.
(Image: Reuters)
Among the Duke of York’s responsibilities was to be UK’s trade representative, and Andrew exploited this luxury travel to a point that he was called ‘Air Miles Andrew’ in the media. Among the many pe..
Read More
In 2007, Andrew sold his house, valued at 12 million pounds, for 15 million pounds. Good business? Maybe, but at the same time as the sale, the Prince was also representing British businesses in Kazakhstan. And the person who happened to purchase his house was Kazakh businessman Timur Kulibayev. In fact, reports in the media even said Andrew went goose hunting with Kulibayev’s father-in-law, then Kazakh president Nursultan Nazarbayev. The reports said Andrew’s role was to act as a “fixer” in a business deal, and he stood to make nearly four million pounds for his efforts.
(Image: https://olympic.kz)
In 2007, Andrew sold his house, valued at 12 million pounds, for 15 million pounds. Good business? Maybe, but at the same time as the sale, the Prince was also representing British businesses in Kaza..
Read More
None of these friendships were as damaging to Andrew as his relationship with businessman financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew said he met Epstein for the first time in 1999 through the latter’s girlfriend, whom he had known since university. The two vacationed together in the Caribbean, while Epstein was also a guest at a party hosted by the Queen. Andrew told the BBC recently that he saw Epstein three times a year. He also admitted that it was wrong of him to stay at Epstein’s house in 2010, but didn’t regret their entire friendship.
Epstein was accused of paying minor girls to perform sex acts at his mansion. He spent 13 months in prison for soliciting a minor for prostitution, and was also charged with sex trafficking and conspiracy. He would have been sentenced to 45 years in prison if convicted, but he killed himself in July this year.
(Image: AP)
None of these friendships were as damaging to Andrew as his relationship with businessman financier Jeffrey Epstein. Andrew said he met Epstein for the first time in 1999 through the latter’s girlfr..
