The allegations have been in the room since 2019, on August 9, Virginia Giuffre (38, formerly Virginia Roberts) filed a lawsuit in a civil court in New York. She accuses the Queen’s favorite son of sexually abusing her as a minor.
Prince Andrew (61) does not want to know anything about all this, holed up with his mother at Balmoral Castle in Scotland. But whether he wants to or not: Tonight there will be the first hearing in the abuse process.
At 4 p.m. New York time (10 p.m. here) a conference call is scheduled in the proceedings of Virginia Giuffre against the Royal.
The main aim is to determine whether the charges were correctly served on Andrew in England.
Virginia Giuffre claims that sex offender Jeffrey Epstein († 66) “loaned” her as a minor to Prince Andrew for sexual abuse. She was forced to have sexual intercourse against her willPhoto: REUTERS
A representative of the plaintiff presented the documents on August 27 to a police officer at the entrance to the Prince’s residence in Windsor, England.
Andrew’s lawyers believe, however, that the documents were not properly served because the prince did not receive the papers personally. With this tactic, the lawyers of the number 9 of the British line of succession want to prevent a trial.
Prince Andrew not present at the first hearing
Prince Andrew does not have to attend the first hearing. Therefore, his panic should still be limited today.
However, he is said to be very “frustrated” that his lawyers have advised him to keep quiet for the time being, reports “ITV”. But he takes her advice, it is said, and currently does not want to comment publicly on the allegations of sexual abuse.
Previously, the 61-year-old had always denied the allegations and said that he could not remember a meeting with Giuffre. Nevertheless, he resigned (forced) from his royal duties in 2019 after a disastrous TV interview in which he got caught up in inconsistencies.
This photo shows young Virginia arm in arm with Prince Andrew. Ghislaine Maxwell, then a friend of Andrew and the alleged right-hand man of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein († 66), laughs in the background. The photo was taken in 2001 in a Maxwell villa in LondonPhoto: REX / Shutterstock
At the first hearing today, a judge in New York is due to hear the latest developments in the case and determine whether he believes the papers have been properly served under an agreement between the US and UK governments. The US judge must personally approve the actual service of the statement of claim before further action can be taken.
David Boies, Giuffre’s lawyer, will try to convince the judge that the papers have been handed over correctly.
What Virginia Giuffre accuses Prince Andrew
In 2001, at the age of 17, Guiffre was “loaned” to Andrew by US billionaire Jeffrey Epstein within the pedophile ring, according to the indictment. The scene of the crime: the house of Epstein’s then partner Ghislaine Maxwell (59) in London.
Guiffre was “forced against their will to have sexual intercourse with Prince Andrew” by Epstein, Maxwell and Prince Andrew, it is said. After that, Epstein and Maxwell reportedly intimidated her into silence.
In addition to London, the prince also abused her in Epstein’s house in New York and on Epstein’s private island in the Caribbean, claims the 38-year-old, who is now demanding compensation from Prince Andrew.
Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell has already been arrested and is on remand. At a court hearing in New York in April, she pleaded innocent, denying having recruited minors for Epstein. The trial is scheduled for the end of November.
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