Prince Andrew sued in New York by Virginia Roberts for alleged sex assault
Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in Manhattan federal court Monday — accusing the royal of sexually assaulting her at the pedophile’s homes when she was a “child.”
Giuffre, who is seeking unspecified damages for battery and infliction of emotional distress, said the embattled blueblood abused her at least three times while she was 17.
Each time, Giufrre alleges, she was instructed by either Epstein or his alleged cohort, Ghislaine Maxwell, to engage in sex acts with the Duke of York.
On one occasion detailed in the suit, Giufrre says she was forced to have sex with the prince at Maxwell’s London home.
“During this encounter, Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew forced Plaintiff, a child, to have sexual intercourse with Prince Andrew against her will,” the suit states.
She also was abused by the prince alongside another victim at Epstein’s Upper East Side mansion, according to the suit.
“During this encounter, Maxwell forced Plaintiff, a child, and another victim to sit on Prince Andrew’s lap as Prince Andrew touched her. During his visit to New York, Prince Andrew forced Plaintiff to engage in sex acts against her will,” the suit states.
“On another occasion, Prince Andrew sexually abused Plaintiff on Epstein’s private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Little St. James,” it adds.
Giuffre’s lawyer, David Boies, wrote in the suit she “feared death or physical injury to herself” if she disobeyed Epstein and Maxwell’s orders.
Before filing the suit, Boies told the Daily Mail that he planned to file the action against the prince — who has long been accused of abuse by Giuffre.
“To use a common phrase here in the United States, ‘Time’s up,’ ” Boies told the outlet of the potential legal action.
Andrew’s legal team has ignored two formal legal letters offering to sign a “tolling agreement” that would extend the statute of limitations and allow negotiations to continue, Boies said.
“This could be devastating for Andrew,” a source told the UK outlet of the suit.
“If he chooses to fight it and is deposed [forced to give evidence], then those depositions could end up being made public,” the source said, referring to what happened to Andrew’s socialite pal Maxwell, with the embarrassing documents released from her settled lawsuit with Giuffre.
“If he ignores it, he could be found guilty in absentia, which would be a public-relations disaster,” the source added of the prince.
The Duke of York has always denied having sex with Giuffre — even denying knowing her and questioning the authenticity of a now-notorious photo of them hugging.
Buckingham Palace has also “emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts.”
“Any claim to the contrary is false and without foundation,” the royals have said.
A rep for Andrew declined to comment.
In a statement after the suit was filed, Giuffre said she took the legal action to hold the prince accountable.
“The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice,” she said.
Epstein hanged himself in his Manhattan lockup in August 2019 while awaiting trial on serious sex charges.
Maxwell is in custody in Brooklyn awaiting trial for allegedly recruiting underage girls for Epstein. She has pleaded not guilty.
