Prince Andrew's lawyers 'moving up a gear' says expert

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After accepting the civil case lodged against him in the US, the Duke of York’s legal team have “come out fighting” in a bid to salvage his royal reputation. Court documents that were filed last Friday show that Prince Andrew’s lawyers have accused Virginia Giuffre of “wilful recruitment and trafficking” of young girls for sexual abuse by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. After a judge ruled that the trial would take place in autumn 2022, it is “increasingly likely” that the prince will travel to America to give evidence on the claims Ms Giuffre has made against him. 

Prince Andrew has consistently and categorically denied all allegations made against him. 

His accuser, Ms Giuffre, filed a civil case against him under New York’s Child Victims Act, seeking “punitive damages” for the trauma endured after the Duke allegedly sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17 years old. 

In new court documents, the prince’s lawyers have argued that the “baseless lawsuit” should be dismissed due to Ms Giuffre’s lack of sufficient detail regarding the claims. 

Speaking to Mark Dolan on GB News, royal biographer and expert Robert Jobson said: “I think at this particular stage, Prince Andrew’s lawyers are moving up a gear.

“They were more aggressive in their stance in what they said to the court that refers to Virginia Giuffre’s past, her ‘sex kitten’ antics, I think that was an expression used in there.

“It looks increasingly like Prince Andrew is going to have to give evidence in America and I think that in my opinion, that’ll be the best thing for him.

“If he has to do that and come out fighting, if he has to defend himself, like in the same way of what he has done in terms of what his lawyers said, it’s the only way he’s going to have any future going forward.”

Last Friday, the Duke’s legal team have attempted to turn the tables on his accuser by quoting Crystal Figueroa, the sister of one of Ms Giuffre’s ex-boyfriends, who claims that she was asked by Giuffre if she knew of any “slutty” girls. 

In the court filing, his lawyers said: “It is a striking feature of this case that while lurid allegations are made against Prince Andrew by Giuffre, the only party to this claim whose conduct has involved the wilful recruitment and trafficking of young girls for sexual abuse is Giuffre herself, including while she was an adult.”

Prince Andrew's legal team have 'changed tactics' says expert

They have also quoted an American newspaper report, which described Ms Giuffre as a “money-hungry sex kitten,” and argued that Ms Giuffre had launched her legal action “to achieve another payday” at the expense of Prince Andrew and his family. 

In response to these allegations, Sigrid McCawley, the lawyer representing Ms Giuffre, said: “If Virginia Giuffre had stood silent in the face of outrageous statements like those Prince Andrew routinely churns out — his motion to dismiss the litigation being no exception — the decades-long sex-trafficking ring his friend Jeffrey Epstein operated and he participated in would have never been exposed.”

Ms Giuffre had played a prominent role in exposing the alleged sex offences of disgraced financier Epstein after she and a number of women came forward to detail their experiences. 

The duke had befriended Epstein during the 1990s but terminated their friendship in 2010 following the financier’s conviction for the solicitation of minors for prostitution. 

Speaking of Andrew’s friendship with the convicted sex offender, Mr Jobson said: “Not everybody believes what Virginia Giuffre said, but pretty much everyone believes that his friendship with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted paedophile, was at the very least unwise and otherwise, pretty sordid.

“You didn’t have to scratch the surface too deeply to see that this guy was a bit of a sleazebag.”

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Following his arrest in 2019, Epstein killed himself in prison, whilst his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell is currently awaiting trial. 

Prince Andrew has consistently denied the allegations made against him, telling BBC Newsnight in 2019 that the abuse “never happened”. 

Speaking to journalist Emily Maitlis, he said: “It didn’t happen. I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever.”

Following public backlash, he stepped down from his role as a senior working royal and issued the following statement: “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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