Prince Andrew: Cressida Dick says ‘no one is above the law’

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The civil lawsuit filed against Prince Andrew has left the Queen’s son in a “dangerous” position, according to a royal expert. Virginia Roberts Giuffre, a former victim of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has alleged the Duke sexually abused her on three occasions, leaving his legal team with a number of “high-risk” options, which includes having details of his sexual history relayed in court. Prince Andrew has consistently denied all allegations. 

Royal commentator Rebecca English said: “Andrew and his legal team have been absolutely blindsided by this.

“They did not expect Virginia Giuffre and her attorney to go down this route of a civil lawsuit and as a result, there is a lot of behind the scenes crisis of trying to work out what to do about it.

“As my colleague Stephen Wright has explained, it is a very dangerous time for him. Every option available to them is very high-risk.

“He could try and ignore it completely but then of course, he risks having a court finding against him in his absence and being branded a sex abuser in America and being subject to a multi-million dollar claim against him.”

She continued: “He could come out fighting but if he does that, he’s got to be prepared to have every dealing he has had with Jeffrey Epstein scrutinised, every aspect of his life opened up to the public, including even his own sexual history.

“He could try to get it struck out but if he fails, he’s back to square one so there’s a lot of thinking going on in the Andrew camp at the moment.”

Virginia Giuffre filed the civil case on Tuesday under New York’s Child Victims Act. 

She wishes to receive damages for the “significant emotional and psychological distress and harm” caused by the Duke of York. 

The case claims that Prince Andrew sexually abused Ms Giuffre – then known as Virginia Roberts – on three occasions, twice in the US and once in London. 

She has alleged that he did so in full awareness that she was only 17 years old. The age of consent in the US Virgin Islands, where he allegedly had a sexual interaction with Ms Giuffre, is 18 years old. 

Her lawyers said: “Twenty years ago Prince Andrew’s wealth, power, position, and connections enabled him to abuse a frightened, vulnerable child with no one there to protect her. It is long past the time for him to be held to account.”

The Duke of York has denied the allegations and told BBC journalist Emily Maitlis in 2019: “It didn’t happen. I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”

As a vulnerable teenager, Ms Giuffre says she had been groomed by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, who was running a sex trafficking ring with underage girls. 

Prince Andrew was a close friend of Epstein, after being introduced in the 1990s through their mutual friend, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell. 

He remained friends with Epstein after his first conviction in 2008 for soliciting a child for prostitution.

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Following public backlash, he terminated the friendship. 

In 2019, Jeffrey Epstein was re-arrested after a number of victims came forward to reveal the extent of his sexual abuse, and he later committed suicide in his prison cell. 

Ghislaine Maxwell is currently awaiting trial on allegations of procuring and sexually trafficking young girls, a claim she denies. 

Prince Andrew conducted an interview in November 2019 with BBC Newsnight, in an attempt to save his reputation and quieten the media controversy. 

The interview was deemed a disaster and the Prince shortly withdrew from public duties, and has ceased to represent the Queen in formal engagements. 

In a later statement, he said: “I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein.

“His suicide has left many unanswered questions, particularly for his victims, and I deeply sympathise with everyone who has been affected and wants some form of closure.

“I can only hope that, in time, they will be able to rebuild their lives. Of course, I am willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations, if required.”

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