Prince Andrew has settled a civil sexual assault case brought against him in the US by Virginia Giuffre, court documents show.
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Ms Giuffre had been suing the Duke of York, claiming he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17, allegations he has repeatedly denied.
A letter filed to the US district court on Tuesday said the duke and Ms Giuffre had reached an out-of-court settlement.
The duke’s representatives said he had no comment beyond the court statement.
The duke’s representatives said he had no comment beyond the court statement.
A statement in the letter to US judge Lewis A Kaplan, said the duke would make a “substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights”.
It added that Prince Andrew had “never intended to malign Ms Giuffre’s character” and that he recognised she had “suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks”.
The duke also pledged to “demonstrate his regret for his association” with the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein by supporting the “fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims”.
He also commended the “bravery of Ms Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others”.
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Asked for comment on the latest development, Ms Giuffre’s lawyer David Boies told the PA News agency: “I believe this event speaks for itself.”
Who is Prince Andrew and what titles is he losing?
Who is Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre?
Asked for comment on the latest development, Ms Giuffre’s lawyer David Boies told the PA News agency: “I believe this event speaks for itself.”
Ms Giuffre, now 38, claimed she was the victim of sex trafficking and abuse by financier Epstein from the age of 16. Epstein died in prison in 2019 while awaiting a sex trafficking trial.
She said that part of the abuse saw her lent out to powerful men, including Prince Andrew, who is the third child of the Queen and ninth in line to the throne.
Ms Giuffre claimed the duke, 61, sexually assaulted her on three occasions – at Ghislaine Maxwell’s home in London, in Epstein’s mansion in New York and on Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands.
In January, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Andrew’s military titles and royal patronages had been returned to the Queen. A royal source said he would also stop using the title His Royal Highness in an official capacity.
The move came after the US court ruled that the civil action over him could go ahead.
(BBC)
