Tobias Sylvester
Prince Andrew, the second son of Queen Elizabeth II, has reached an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, the woman who sued him over alleged sexual assault.
Virginia Guiffre Sex Abuse Case Against Prince Andrew
KanyiDaily recalls that Giuffre had accused Andrew of sexually assaulting her in New York when she was 17-year-old in 2001. She also alleged that the British Prince’s friend, Jeffrey Epstein, set her up for the sexual encounter.
In her lawsuit, the 38-year-old woman further alleged that the Duke of York had sex with her without her consent, even though he was aware that she was underage at the time.
Prince Andrew, 61, has denied the sexual assault allegations against him on several occasions, claiming he didn’t remember meeting Giuffre even though a picture of them together was widely shared on the internet.
During an interview with BBC in 2019, the Duke of York denied the allegations by Guiffre, saying “It didn’t happen, I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”
Prince Andrew Settles Virginia Giuffre With £12million
Despite his denial, a joint statement before the Manhattan federal court on Tuesday, lawyers of both parties said they have decided to halt the trial.
The statement also said the settlement in principle requires Andrew to make a “substantial donation” to Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights.
The statement reads, “Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights.
“Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years.”
According to The Telegraph, the Duke of York is expected to pay Giuffre over £12 million as part of the settlement. It is understood that the money would be paid by the queen.
This comes just a few weeks after Queen Elizabeth stripped Prince Andrew of his military titles and royal patronages, saying he will no longer use the title “His Royal Highness” in any official capacity until the case comes to an end.
The Queen added that the Duke of York will defend the sexual assault case against him as a “private citizen” and he “will continue not to undertake any public duties.”
The move to disassociate Prince Andrew from his much-prized military affiliations has been a long time coming but gained force a few weeks ago after a judge rejected Andrew’s attempt to have the sexual assault lawsuit against him thrown out,
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