Jeffery Epstein’s sex scandal continues to have far-reaching effects even after the American financer’s death. One of his victims was Virginia Giuffre. The 38-year-old led several criminal and civil actions against Epstein, his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, and others allegedly involved in the trafficking ring. Some of the cases were settled outside court.
Giuffre had a lawsuit against British Royale Prince Andrew. The prince was accused of sexually assaulting her after being trafficked to him by Epstein. The two parties eventually decided on an outside court settlement. They submitted a document to the judge to dismiss the case.
The settlement terms would have Andrew pay an undisclosed but substantial amount to Giuffre’s charity and admit that he never meant to sully her name. The agreement came just before the trial’s evidence-gathering stage.
Giuffre And Andrew’s Lawyers Asked Judge To End Sex Abuse Lawsuit
Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse lawsuit might be drawing to a close. The lawyers of the royal and his accuser, Giuffre, formally reached out to a judge on Tuesday to dismiss the lawsuit. The document was sent to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. He previously gave the two sides until March 17 to seal things up or set a trial date.
Three weeks ago, the lawyers agreed on a settlement but didn’t seal the deal. The prince was expected to donate a substantial amount to the American’s charity and make a statement that he never intended on slandering her.
Giuffre previously accused him of sexually abusing her on her trip with Epstein in 2001. In return, Andrew denied the claims and said he had never met the American before. The two parties eventually reached a settlement after the judge rejected Andrew’s bid to win early dismissal early this year.
Giuffre And Andrew’s Settlement Terms
According to a statement by David Boies, Giuffre’s attorney, the prince would donate to Giuffre’s charity. He admitted that he never intended on maligning her character and said that the American was a victim of abuse and a target for unfair public attacks.
The British royal also acknowledged that Epstein was a sex trafficker who brought in “countless young girls” in his many years of operation. The statement read that Andrew “regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”
To show his regret, Andrew promised to support all sex trafficking victims. The settlement was reached just before the evidence-gathering stage. This would have included the prince’s sworn out of court testimony and made the royal answer questions thrown at him by attorneys.
Giuffre Accused Andrew In 2015
Giuffre started accusing Andrew publicly in 2015. She alleged that Epstein trafficked her to the royal a total of three times in London, the Virgin Islands and New York. This apparently happened in 2001 when the campaigner was still a teenager, and Andrew was apparently fully aware.
In a 2019 BBC interview, Andrew broached the topic and denied ever meeting Giuffre, amongst other things. This was despite the picture of the two of them making rounds on the internet. The royal also claimed that when she claimed they were dancing at a London nightclub, he was at a pizza place with one of his daughters.
Andrew has since stepped away from his senior royal role due to the severity of the accusations. The royal’s honorary military titles were also taken away last month, and his leadership positions in many charities called Royal patronages. Andrew can also not use the “his royal highness” title in any official setting.
Giuffre Had Lawsuits With Epstein And Maxwell
Besides her lawsuit against Andrew, Giuffre also filed lawsuits against Epstein and his former partner Ghislaine Maxwell. Epstein was accused of being the head of a “vast network” of underage girls used for sex work but pled not guilty.
He later committed suicide in federal jail while waiting for trial in 2019. The trial was for the additional charges of sex trafficking. On the other hand, Maxwell was convicted in December for bringing in underage girls to be sexually molested and trafficked by Epstein.
According to unsealed documents, Giuffre’s lawsuit against Epstein led to a $500,000 settlement from Epstein in 2009. The settlement for her 2015 defamation lawsuit against Maxwell remains undisclosed.
Giuffre is reportedly still in a lawsuit with former Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz. The two sued each other for defamation. The 38-year-old alleged that Epstein coerced her to have sex with the professor, but Dershowitz denied the accusation. He even wrote a book arguing that he had reason to believe that Giuffre was pressured to make the accusation. He told USA Today that he had no plans to settle the lawsuit and would go to trial.
