by Zohra Rangwala
Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, has been accused of sexual abuse and is involved in a civil case in the US, whilst the Prince’s former friend, Ghislaine Maxwell has been found guilty of trafficking underage girls at the benefit of Jeffery Epstein, an ex-associate of the Duke.
Virginia Giuffre came out to the public as a victim of sex trafficking and abuse by Epstein from the age of 16. The abuse consisted of being ‘lent out’ to other men in power and wealth including Prince Andrew. Giuffre asserts that she had been assaulted on three occasions under the age of 18.
The incidents incorporate acts of involuntary/non-consensual sex with the Duke and Epstein, supported by Maxwell, despite the knowledge that she was underage. These acts were forced with the use of explicit and implicit threats and generated fear concerning powerful connections of the wealthy and authoritative men.
Prince Andrew has persistently denied these allegations against him and had said in a BBC interview that he has no account of their meeting at any occasion, backed by an alibi; in spite of the picture of the Duke with his arm around Ms. Giuffre.
The court case becomes problematic as in 2009, Ms. Giueffre agreed that she would not sue anyone else connected to Epstein when she resolved her assertions against the sex offender. However, Ms. Giuffre’s lawyers have claimed this to be irrelevant concerning the documentations that have now been revealed to the public.
The Duke of York is not facing any legal action in the UK but is involved in the civil case in New York under the state’s Child Victim Act. During a virtual meeting, the Prince’s lawyers asked the judge to dismiss the case, to which Judge Lewis A. Kaplan responded by ruling a civil suit against the prince, where he was then stripped of his military titles and royal patronages.
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