Prince Andrew in ‘difficult situation’, says royal correspondent
Prince Andrew is awaiting a ruling on his bid to have Virginia Giuffre’s sexual assault civil lawsuit against him thrown out of court.
Ms Giuffre says she was forced to have sex with ex-financier Jeffrey Epstein’s friends – including the Duke of York, when she was 17.
He denies all the allegations against him and says he does not remember meeting Ms Giuffre.
It comes as Carolyn Andriano, a fellow alleged victim of Epstein, says Ms Giuffre confided in her at the time and told her she had slept with Andrew in 2001. She made the claims in an interview with The Daily Mail.
Last Tuesday, a New York judge said he would rule “pretty soon” on whether Ms Giuffre can pursue her civil case. Judge Lewis Kaplan is weighing up whether a settlement agreement between Epstein and Ms Giuffre offers Andrew protection from legal action.
Last month, the duke’s former friend, Ghislaine Maxwell, was found guilty of recruiting and trafficking underage girls to be abused by Epstein.
What the Maxwell verdict means for the case against Prince Andrew
The Duke of York’s accuser who claims she was trafficked to have sex with the royal has said “others must be held accountable” following the conviction of predatory socialite Ghislaine Maxwell
Virginia Giuffre, who has brought a civil sex case against Andrew and features in an infamous picture with the duke and his friend Maxwell, has “faith” others will face justice.
Maxwell, 60, who was labelled “dangerous” by the prosecution, faces the rest of her life in jail for helping to entice vulnerable teenagers to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein’s various properties for him to sexually abuse between 1994 and 2004.
Attention will now focus on the damages action launched by Ms Giuffre who is suing the Queen’s son for alleged sexual assault.
Oliver O’Connell10 January 2022 21:22
Duke’s title in question, report says
Prince Andrew could reportedly be asked to give up his title if he loses the lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre, a report says.
Oliver O’Connell10 January 2022 20:29
Report: Chalet sale moving ahead
Prince Andrew has found a buyer for his Swiss ski chalet in a deal worth an estimated £1m, MailOnline reports.
Sources close to the Duke of York confirmed to the publication that the sale of the chalet in the resort of Verbier is moving ahead after a mystery buyer agreed to take it off his hands.
The prince is able to sell the property after settling a £6.6m debt to French socialite Isabelle de Rouvre who sold it to him and Sarah Ferguson in 2014.
It was reported last week that the prince was rushing through the sale to cover his legal bills.
Oliver O’Connell10 January 2022 19:59
Maxwell witness: Giuffre told me she had sex with Prince Andrew
Carolyn Andriano, who testified in the trail of sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell last month, has claimed in an interview with Daily Mail that the-then 17-year-old Ms Giuffre confided in her at the time of the incident.
Holly Bancroft reports.
Oliver O’Connell10 January 2022 19:31
No doubt about what the word ‘intercourse’ means
The judge at the Prince Andrew hearing appeared to take an unexpected sideswipe at a former US president, though he did not specify which one.
Prince Andrew’s lawyers are currently working to fend off a sexual assault lawsuit from Virginia Giuffre, who says the convicted sex criminals Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell “forced” her to have “sexual intercourse” with the Duke of York – an accusation that Andrew adamantly denies.
At Tuesday’s proceedings, the prince’s lawyers argued that this language was not detailed enough, but Judge Lewis Kaplan disagreed.
Nathan Place reports.
Oliver O’Connell10 January 2022 18:32
Tough questioning from judge throws Prince Andrew’s dismissal attempt into disarray
Prince Andrew’s lawyers came under withering questioning last week from the judge deciding whether Virginia Giuffre’s sexual abuse lawsuit should be allowed to proceed to trial.
Bevan Hurley reports.
Oliver O’Connell10 January 2022 17:35
Newsnight interview ‘jaw-dropping’ says Maitlis
BBC journalist Emily Maitlis has given a behind-the-scenes account of what she called a “jaw-dropping” interview she conducted with Prince Andrew in 2019.
It comes as a New York judge decides whether to allow Virginia Giuffre, the trafficking victim of paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, to pursue her civil case against the Duke of York.
In a BBC article published on Tuesday evening, the Newsnight presenter detailed how the prince told her in advance about some of the claims in the 2019 interview – including the moment he said he was unable to sweat.
“At the time, the specifics seemed almost comical,” Ms Maitlis said. “But now, suddenly, they feel deadly serious.”
Laurie Churchman reports.
Oliver O’Connell10 January 2022 16:45
Duke selling Swiss chalet to cover legal bills
Prince Andrew is reportedly attempting to rush through the sale of his £17m Swiss chalet as the bills mount in his legal battle against Virginia Giuffre.
Chiara Giordano reports.
Oliver O’Connell10 January 2022 15:55
Judge weighing up agreement between Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Giuffre
The confidential agreement Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre entered into with Jeffrey Epstein, who she claims trafficked her to have sex with the duke, was published at the start of last week.
The document detailed how Giuffre received a 500,000 dollar payout in 2009 and agreed to “release, acquit, satisfy and forever discharge” disgraced financier Epstein and “any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant”.
The duke’s lawyer said about the claim for damages brought by Ms Giuffre: “It is unfair, it is unjust, it should be dismissed.”
Laurie Churchman10 January 2022 15:00
What happened at the hearing last week?
New York judge Lewis Kaplan has been considering whether a 2009 agreement between Jeffrey Epstein and Ms Giuffre protects Prince Andrew from further legal action.
The prince’s lawyers have argued Ms Giuffre agreed not to bring any future cases against other “potential defendants”.
They said this would include Prince Andrew, even though he is not named in the document, and should be grounds for dismissing Ms Giuffre’s current suit against the prince.
At a heated virtual hearing in Manhattan on Tuesday, Judge Kaplan said he appreciated the “arguments and the passion” over the agreement.
The judge said he would give a ruling “pretty soon”.
A jury trial could go ahead later this year if the judge rules in Ms Giuffre’s favour.
Prince Andrew denies the allegations.
Laurie Churchman10 January 2022 14:59
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