Epstein accuser sues Prince Andrew, claims she was sexually assaulted by him when she was 17
Federal prosecutors on the civil case are still attempting to talk with the British Royal after sending him a formal request nearly one year ago
Virginia Giuffre, the American woman who has said Prince Andrew sexually abused her at age 17, accused the royal of launching "baseless, defamatory attacks" in a civil court filing in New York.
The claims come as the federal sex trafficking trial for Jeffrey Epstein’s former associate Ghislaine Maxwell is underway in a different court this week.
Giuffre’s lawyers filed a motion Monday night in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to block the Duke of York’s attempt to have the civil lawsuit thrown out. The filing alleges Prince Andrew has avoided "confronting his own misconduct" by instead launching "baseless, defamatory" attacks against Giuffre’s credibility, character and motives, The Telegraph reported.
Giuffre is suing Prince Andrew for unspecified damages, alleging the Duke of York sexually assaulted her on three separate occasions in 2001 when she was 17-years-old. Her lawsuit against Queen Elizabeth II’s son alleges he forced her to have sex with him at Maxwell’s apartment in London and at Epstein’s homes in Manhattan and the U.S. Virgin Islands, Reuters reported.
GHISLAINE MAXWELL WAS PART OF EPSTEIN ORGIES, FIRST ACCUSER SAYS AT TRIAL
In a rebuttal last month, Prince Andrew "unequivocally" denied the claims, and his lawyers described Giuffre’s complaint as "threadbare," arguing she was trying to secure "another payday at his expense."
Virginia Giuffre has long alleged she was abused by the Duke of York when she was underage. (Getty Images)
His lawyers also accused Giuffre of wanting to "milk the publicity" from her association with Epstein for years by giving "increasingly salacious and inconsistent accounts" of what occurred.
"Defendant's motion was intended to be, and was extensively used as, a press release to attack Ms. Giuffre in the media," Giuffre's attorneys wrote in a 35-page response Monday. "Defendant dared to make his baseless, defamatory attacks on Ms. Giuffre in his motion only because doing so in a court filing insulated him from the libel lawsuit that would otherwise result."
"The remainder of defendant’s motion is an attack on plaintiff's credibility, character, and motives that lacks foundation in fact and continues defendant’s efforts to avoid confronting his own misconduct by attempting to blame and shame his victim," Giuffre’s attorney David Boies added.
Referencing a 2019 BBC interview in which Prince Andrew said he could not remember ever meeting Giuffre, Boies described said such a claim was "a denial so at odds with photographs and other evidence that it is itself indicative of guilt," according to the filing. Giuffre’s attorneys further argued that Prince Andrew manipulated "age and power imbalances" and "knew that the plaintiff was a victim of sex trafficking, and intended to compel her into submission to gratify his own sexual desires."
Audrey Strauss, acting U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, points to a photo of Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, during a news conference in New York on July 2, 2020. (AP Photo/John Minchillo, File)
"Especially considering the power and influence that Prince Andrew holds, he cannot contend that such conduct is not extreme and outrageous," the filing says.
Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment Wednesday.
As the trial is underway in Manhattan for Maxwell, a longtime pilot for Epstein testified Monday that Bill Clinton was one of the high-profile guests on Epstein’s private jet. But he maintained that the cockpit door was closed and he never saw or was aware of any sexual activity involving minors.
On Tuesday, a second witness, an alleged victim of Maxwell and Epstein who is testifying under the pseudonym "Jane," told the court Epstein had also taken her to Mar-a-Lago when she was 14 and introduced her to Donald Trump years before he was elected president.
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She also recalled being on a flight on one of Epstein’s planes with Prince Andrew. However, she did not allege any inappropriate behavior by either Trump or Prince Andrew. Earlier in the questioning she had stated that Epstein did not make her have sex with any of his friends.
"Jane" testified Monday she began being sexually abused by Epstein starting at age 14 and that there were often other women involved, Maxwell being the most frequent participator, who would "mainly" touch her "breasts."
Fox News’ Marta Dhanis contributed to this report.
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