Prince Andrew settles Virginia Giuffre sexual assault case in US

Author: Editors Desk Source: The Guardian

February 15, 2022 at 20:07

Prince Andrew with Virginia Giuffre. The duke accepted that Giuffre had ‘suffered as an established victim of abuse’. Photograph: US district court - Southern Dis/AFP/Getty Images

Out-of-court settlement in civil case means Duke of York is spared giving evidence at trial

The Duke of York has settled the sex assault case filed against him by Virginia Giuffre for an undisclosed sum, sparing him the humiliation of giving evidence in a trial and protecting the royal family from further reputational damage.

The out-of-court settlement in the US civil case means Prince Andrew makes no admission of guilt over claims by Giuffre that he sexually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17, allegations he has repeatedly denied.

In a letter filed to the judge, Lewis A Kaplan, lawyers for Andrew, 61, and Giuffre, 38, said the two had reached a “settlement in principle”. A statement read: “The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed).”

It added that Andrew would make a “substantial donation” to Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights. International lawyers told the Guardian that the cost to Andrew was likely to be more than $10m (£7m) even before paying his own legal bill that is expected to run into millions.

Tuesday’s legal statement continued that Andrew had “never intended to malign Ms Giuffre’s character” and that he recognised she had “suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks”.

Andrew also pledged to “demonstrate his regret for his association” with the sex offender financier Jeffrey Epstein, by supporting the “fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims”. He commended the “bravery of Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others”.

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