Alleged Victim of Jeffrey Epstein Sues Prince Andrew for Sexual Abuse
Written by SOURCE on August 10, 2021
ABC News has learned that an alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit on Monday against Prince Andrew, accusing the Duke of York of sexually abusing her on several occasions when she was under the age of 18.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre is accusing Andrew of sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress, and seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages. “Twenty years ago, Prince Andrew’s wealth, power, position, and connections enabled him to abuse a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her. It is long past the time for him to be held to account,” the suit states.
Giuffre first accused Andrew of sexual abuse in a 2014 lawsuit as part of a case against the U.S. Department of Justice, challenging the lenient deal between Epstein and federal prosecutors six years earlier. Giuffre cites three instances in three different locations—London, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands—where she was forced by Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell into having sex with Andrew.
Maxwell and Buckingham Palace denied Guiffre’s allegations, saying Andrew didn’t have “any form of sexual contact or relationship” with her. Since then, her lawyers have tried to personally reach out to Andrew in an effort to avoid taking legal action, but she ultimately filed the suit in New York federal court, just days before her childhood sexual abuse lawsuit would’ve conflicted with state law regarding the statute of limitations.
“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,” Giuffre said in a statement through her attorneys. “I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but one can reclaim her life by speaking out and demanding justice.”
“I did not come to this decision lightly. As a mother and a wife, my family comes first,” the statement continues. “I know that this action will subject me to further attacks by Prince Andrew and his surrogates. But I knew that if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down.”
