Prince Andrew continues to face criticisms amid the investigation of his alleged involvement to the Jeffrey Epstein scandal. The Duke of York vehemently denied the claims of alleged victim Virginia Giuffre, who accused Andrew of committing sexual assault and battery upon her.
In May 2020, it was announced that Prince Andrew would permanently resign from all public roles over his alleged ties with Jeffrey Epstein. The former husband of Sarah Ferguson also stated that he is willing to help law enforcement agencies in their investigations, adding that he “unequivocally” regrets the “ill-judged association.”
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Now, a U.S. legal expert described Prince Andrew’s alleged strategy to “attack and blame” Virginia Giuffre as “incredibly risky.” Keep on reading to know more details.
Lawyers Defending Prince Andrew By Attacking Virginia Giuffre?
As per Express UK, Moira Penza, former Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, told BBC the filing, where Prince Andrew admitted to seeing Jeffrey Epstein but denied sexually assaulting Virginia Giuffre, was the type she expected. She stated that defenses raised in the document provide an insight into the Duke of York and his lawyers defending the case by simply attacking and blaming the alleged victim.
The lawyer explained how Prince Andrew was required to answer the complaints of Virginia Giuffre or risk a default judgment. Moira added the documents showed the father of Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice is keeping his options open as to how he would answer to the allegations as more pieces of evidence emerge.
On the snap of Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre, Moira Penza said:
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The lawyer also commented on the report about Prince Andrew’s request for a jury trial, saying:
Legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg said Prince Andrew’s demand for a jury trial suggested that the duke was saying “bring it on.” He told BBC Breakfast:
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Joshua Rozenberg furthered that the case could still settle out of court. However, Prince Andrew has maintained that he denies all the claims of Virginia Giuffre. To recall, Virginia sued the son of Queen Elizabeth in August 2021 for allegedly battering her while Jeffrey Epstein was trafficking her.
What Will Happen If Prince Andrew Loses At Trial?
Should Virginia Giuffre win at trial, Prince Andrew could be indebted her damages. The alleged victim of the Duke of York has reportedly asked for an unstipulated amount. The brother of Prince Charles has not been criminally charged and no criminal charge can be brought in Virginia’s civil lawsuit.
Earlier this month, U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected the request of Prince Andrew to shelve the case of Virginia Giuffre, which the duke said he was spared from under the 2009 Epstein settlement. The royal renewed that argument in Wednesday’s filing, adding that Virginia lacks legal standing to sue since she lives in Australia.
Lawyers of Prince Andrew had previously called Virginia Giuffre’s case “baseless” and accused her of seeking another payday. She reportedly received $500,000 in the 2009 civil settlement with Jeffrey Epstein. Meanwhile, judge Kaplan has said a trial could commence between September and December 2022.
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