Prince Andrew Attempts To Dismiss Sexual Abuse Case; Judge Grills the Duke's Defense

A judge debating whether Virginia Giuffre's sexual abuse lawsuit should go to trial has grilled Prince Andrew's attorneys.

In her legal action, Giuffre claims that, when she was 17, she was forced to have sex with Jeffrey Epstein's pals, including the Duke of York. The charges have been strenuously disputed by Prince Andrew, 61, who believes Giuffre is looking for a "payday at his cost."

Judge questions Prince Andrew's move to dismiss sexual abuse case

During the hearing on Tuesday, lawyers for both sides argued over whether a $500,000 settlement agreement struck in 2009 between Epstein and Giuffre - which was unsealed on Monday - could free Prince Andrew of culpability.

The complaint did not identify Prince Andrew as a defendant, but it did include a release for any other person or entity who may have been listed as a possible defendant. The prince's lawyer Andrew Brettler said that the suit's accusations were unclear and didn't indicate when or where the alleged assault occurred, The Independent reported.

Brettler went on to state that the lawsuit did not detail the prince's alleged misbehavior. Giuffre's attorney David Boise argued that the 2009 agreement should not apply to Prince Andrew since it covered unrelated claims. Shortly after, Judge Kaplan adjourned the remote session and promised a decision soon.

Prince Andrew was mocked for hiding behind Jeffrey Epstein's payout

According to Newsweek, Prince Andrew's attempts to get his sexual assault case dismissed have prompted outrage on social media in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Andrew Brettler, the Duke of York's counsel, had a tense debate with a court on Tuesday over whether Virginia Giuffre had the legal right to sue him.

According to the prince's legal team, his accuser agreed to a $500,000 deal with Jeffrey Epstein in which "other prospective defendants" were absolved from responsibility. The court, however, suggested that owing to a phrase stating that the document was "not meant to be utilized by any other person," he may not be able to enforce it.

The report intends to have further tarnished Prince Andrew's reputation on both sides of the Atlantic, with pundits disgusted by his reliance on Epstein's payoff. Judge Lewis Kaplan did not reach a ruling at the end of the session but hinted one would come "very soon."

Prince Andrew's reliance on the Epstein settlement was not the only thing that grabbed notice; his attorneys also claimed that a time extension to the New York Child Victims Act was illegal.

Yesterday's hearing was viewed as one of Prince Andrew's final chances to get the civil complaint dismissed before the Queen's Platinum Jubilee year, which would be overshadowed by a trial this autumn. His side maintained that the 2009 agreement Giuffre made with Epstein absolved the duke of any culpability.

Virginia Giuffre seeks monetary damages

However, Judge Kaplan appeared to dismiss this part of the argument, saying that "potential" was a word that neither he nor Brettler could "find any meaning at all." He went on to say that the "real question" is what Giuffre and Epstein intended when they signed the settlement; and the financier, who committed suicide in 2019 while awaiting trial on additional child sex charges, was not around to say.

The arrangement, according to Giuffres' team, does not provide Prince Andrew with any protection. The prince is thought to have listened in on the Windsor hearing. Giuffre is suing the Queen's son, alleging that he sexually assaulted her as a teenager. She is seeking specific monetary damages although it is expected to be in the millions of dollars.

She alleged that Epstein forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew while she was 17 years old and a minor in the United States. All of the charges have been refuted by Prince Andrew. During the hearing, the definition of "possible defendant" was debated, with Brettler telling Judge Kaplan that it meant "someone who was not listed as a defendant but might have been."

Per Daily Mail, Giuffre knew she had "claims against" when she launched the complaint in 2009 against infamous billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, whose former lover Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted this week of soliciting adolescent prostitutes for him.