Ο Prince Andrew, in the eye of the hurricane for years because of his relationship with pedophile investor Jeffrey Epstein, failed in its attempt to have the appeal filed in the US courts by the Virginia Jufre, who accuses him of sexually abusing her in 2001, when she was 17 years old. Her second son Queen Elizabeth is now in danger of being charged. The judge Lewis Kaplan had stated in the autumn that the trial could take place sometime «between September and December 2022» in New York.
For many years Virginia Jufre or Roberts, an American woman of 38 years who now lives in Autralia, has been publicly accusing Andrew. But last summer she decided to go to court, accusing him of being one of the «powerful friends» to whom Epstein handed her over to sexually abuse her when she was a minor. She claims that abused three times in 2001, London, New York and the US Virgin Islands.
The prince had been trying for six months to convince American judges to dismiss Jufre's lawsuit. This time his lawyers cited an agreement made by Jufre in 2009 in which she pledged not to turn against Epstein and ’potential other defendants« in exchange for $500,000 from the American multimillionaire.
Judge Kaplan, however, found the 40-page agreement «ambiguous» which, he said, was open to many interpretations and dismissed the Prince's appeal. Jufre's lawyers pointed out that the agreement did not cover Andrew, who was not even aware of its existence at the time.
Andrew has found himself in a difficult position in recent years due to his relationship with Epstein, who committed suicide in prison in 2019. Epstein's former partner, Gillen Maxwell, was found guilty in December of human trafficking in a Manhattan court and faces a multi-year sentence. Several photos have been released showing the prince in the company of Epstein, Maxwell and Jufre when the latter was still a minor. Judge Kaplan had on December 31 dismissed another appeal by Andrew claiming that Jufre could not bring legal action against him in the US because she was permanently resident in Australia.
«He abused me when I was 17 years old»
According to the Daily Mail, the lawsuit states: «In this country no person, whether president or prince, is above the law and no person, no matter how powerless or vulnerable, can be denied the protection of the law.». Prince Andrew had sexual relations with her, at the suggestion of the network's «pimp», Ghislaine Maxwell, while he knew she was underage.
As he says, he was afraid that he would die or be injured if he disobeyed. The plaintiff met Maxwell when she was 16 years old and working at a spa at Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida. She claims Epstein and Maxwell sexually abused her and pressured her to have sex with other men. Epstein, according to her claims, took her to New York when she was 17 to have sex with Prince Andrew.
«I hold Prince Andrew responsible for what he did to me. I hope the other victims will see that they can not live in silence and fear, but can reclaim her life by speaking out and demanding justice. I did not come to this decision lightly. As a mother and wife, my family comes first. I know that this action will subject me to further attacks from Prince Andrew and his courtiers. But I knew that if I didn't do it, I'd be letting myself down and victims everywhere,» the complainant said.
Epstein scandal: «I was handed over to Prince Andrew» testifies victim
This is not the first time Virginia Roberts Juffe has spoken about her «encounter» with Prince Andrew in 2001 at the home of Gislaine Maxwell. Jufre and five other victims of the trafficking network set up by Epstein spoke about their experiences and the sexual exploitation they suffered as minors on NBC's Dateline.
«He was also one of the perpetrators. He participated normally. The first time I came to London, I was so young. Gislaine woke me up one morning and said: “You're going to meet a prince today.” I didn't know then that I was going to be betrothed to a prince. We went to the Trump Club. Prince Andrew he brought me alcohol, it was in the VIP area, I'm sure it was vodka. He said something along the lines of “let's dance”, I said “okay”. Let's get out of the Trump Club and I get in Jeffrey and Gislaine's car. And she says to me: “He's coming back home. I want you to do for him what you're doing for Epstein.” I just couldn't believe it.» According to her, when they went to Gislaine's house, Prince Andrew he had sex with her first in the bathroom and then in the bedroom. As she noted in her NBC testimony, «He wasn't vulgar or anything like that. He said something along the lines of “thank you” and some nice sweet talk and left. I just couldn't believe it that they were involved and noble. He denies that anything ever happened and will continue to deny it, but he knows the truth as well as I do,» Virginia Roberts had said.
The case has been known for years and the royal family and Prince Andrew have many times in the past denied that the Duke and Jufre ever had an affair. Buckingham Palace issued a statement on behalf of the Duke of York claiming: «The Palace denies emphatically that the Duke of York had any sexual contact or relationship with Virginia Roberts. Any other claim to the contrary is simply false and without any substance.» Video released showed the prince at the financier's New York residence, smiling as he said goodbye to a young woman.
Prince Andrew himself, at the time, said he was «shocked» by the allegations of sexual abuse. «His Royal Highness deplores the exploitation of any human being and the suggestion that he could approve, participate or encourage such practices is appalling,» Buckingham Palace said in a statement.
Gislaine Maxwell, the British companion and partner of Jeffrey Epstein, was arrested in July 2020 by the FBI according to NBC News. The heiress to a large fortune is believed to be participated in or organized the rapes and seductions on behalf of Epstein. According to the criminal complaint filed by the New York State Attorney General's Office, Epstein from 2002 to 2005 paid underage girls as young as 14 years old, to have sexual intercourse with him.
Prince Andrew: Sells house in Switzerland for legal costs
As it became known, Prince Andrew needs money immediately and this time his mother will not help him. «There is no doubt that Queen Elizabeth will not help Andrew settle the case.», sources close to Buckingham Palace say, according to the Daily Mail.
Prince Andrew ‘is trying to force through sale of his £17m Swiss chalet while Queen refuses to foot legal bills from Virginia Giuffre sex abuse case’ https://t.co/imAjHclPhe
- Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) January 7, 2022
In order to be able to afford his legal fees and attorneys’ fees, Prince Andrew is trying to sell his Swiss chalet which he bought in 2014 in Verbier - which is called the most expensive village in the world- for GBP 16,6 million. The purchase was made jointly with his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. The property goes under the hammer for £17 million, because the Queen refuses to pay the bill for the settlement in the Virginia Jufrey sexual abuse case.
