Prince Andrew has already been made aware of the sexual abuse complaint against him

Prince Andrew has received legal advice from the complaint against him brought to US court by woman who claims she was sexually assaulted as a minoraccording to a court document released on Friday.

The complaint It was delivered to the Prince on August 27 at his Windsor residence, according to an affidavit filed in the Southern District of New York.

Virginie giuffre claims she was “borrowed” for sex while underage by the American financier Jeffrey Epstein, who committed suicide in a New York prison in 2019 while awaiting trial for child sex trafficking.

Giuffre sued Prince Andrew last month, claiming he sexually assaulted her at Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home, Epstein’s friend, more than 20 years ago, when she was not 18.

Wife She also alleges Prince Andrew abused her at Epstein’s mansion in New York City and Little St. James, the private island that the financier owned in the US Virgin Islands.

The 61-year-old prince categorically denies Giuffre’s accusations and said he does not remember meeting herBut the allegations have tarnished the image of the British royal family.

Agent Giuffre assured in a document that He handed the documents to a police officer at the front door of Andrew’s property and he could not find Queen Elizabeth II’s second son.

Andrew, divorced, father of two daughters and a former Royal Navy helicopter pilot who fought in the 1982 Falklands War against Argentina, was forced to step down from his royal obligations at the end of 2019.

He should have made this decision after an interview with the BBC in which he defended his friendship with Epstein, manager of a multi-million dollar fund who was friends with the cream of the financial and political elite.

Shortly after, he issued a statement in which he assured that He “unequivocally” regretted his “reckless association” with Epstein.

Since one of his rare public appearances took place last April, during the funeral of his father, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, at Windsor Castle, with other members of the Royal Family.

Ghislaine Maxwell pleaded not guilty in April to allegations of recruiting young girls for Epstein. The trial is due to take place on November 29.

Giuffre invoked the Child Victims Act to denounce the British prince when he was 17 at the time. The first hearing of the case is scheduled for Monday.

What will be your legal strategy

Britain’s Prince Andrew will likely do his best to avoid testifyingsay lawyers on both sides of the Atlantic. Andrew can challenge the jurisdiction of the US court, or ignore the civil suit altogether, risk the court declaring him in default and ordering him to pay damages. However, it doesn’t matter which direction I go, will face the constant beating of media coverage.

“There is no good option “said Albert D’Aquino, a New York attorney who has defended clients in similar cases. “I don’t think you are submitting to the authority of the court to order you to make a statement or answer questions that you wish to object to.”said D’Aquino, partner at Goldberg Segalla in Buffalo, New York. “You run too much risk of self-incrimination, which could lead to criminal action against him ”.

(With information from AFP)

Read on: