Virginia Roberts Giuffre Speaks Out Over Prince Andrew Sexual Assault Court Ruling
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Virginia Roberts Giuffre has responded to the judge’s decision to not dismiss the sexual assault lawsuit she filed against Prince Andrew.
Giuffre claims that she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to meet with the Duke of York on three separate occasions, where she was forced to have sex with him at the age of just 17. The now 38-year-old filed the lawsuit under the New York Child Victims Act in August 2020.
Alongside continuing to strenuously deny the allegations, Prince Andrew and his lawyers have tried to get the lawsuit thrown out, by questioning Giuffre’s right to file the lawsuit in America, arguing that she was above the age of consent, and by bringing up a $500,000 deal she made with Epstein in 2009.
However, on January 12, Judge Lewis A Kaplan dismissed the Prince’s bid to have the case thrown out, and Giuffre has since responded to state that she will ‘continue to expose the truth’.
Taking to Twitter, Giuffre noted how ‘pleased’ she was at Judge Kaplan’s ruling which will ‘allow [her] case against Prince Andrew to go forward’.
She stated:
I’m glad I will have the chance to continue to expose the truth & I am deeply grateful to my extraordinary legal team
Their determination helps me seek justice from those who hurt me and so many others. My goal has always been to show that the rich and powerful are not above the law & must be held accountable.
Giuffre concluded by acknowledging that she does ‘not walk this path alone, but alongside countless other survivors of sexual abuse and sex trafficking’.
Alongside having his bid to throw the case out dismissed, Prince Andrew has also been stripped of his royal patronage and military titles.
Moreover, Buckingham Palace announced that the Duke of York will not undertake any public duties.
The Duke of York is now set to face a civil trial later in the year.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence regarding the welfare of a child, contact the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, 8am–10pm Monday to Friday, 9am–6pm weekends. If you are a child seeking advice and support, call Childline for free on 0800 1111
If you have been affected by any of the issues in this article and wish to speak to someone in confidence, contact the Rape Crisis England and Wales helpline on 0808 802 9999 between 12pm–2.30pm and 7pm– 9.30pm every day. Alternatively, you can contact Victim Support free on 08 08 16 89 111 available 24/7, every day of the year, including Christmas
Male Survivors Partnership is available to support adult male survivors of sexual abuse and rape. You can contact the organisation on their website or on their free helpline 0808 800 5005, open 9am–5pm Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays; 8am–8pm Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10am–2pm Saturdays
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