Former UK royal Prince Andrew has denied having close relations with Jeffery Epstein’s former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell. The Prince in the past, however, has said that he regrets having ties with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex trafficker, who died in August 2019 at the Metropolitan Correctional Centre, New York. Andrew faces trial for sexually abusing Virginia Giuffre multiple times, once when she was just 17. Maxwell, who was recently convicted of trafficking other girls for Epstein and his ‘business associates’, is said to have coerced Giuffre into having sexual relations with Prince Andrew.
Andrew’s lawyers have also said that he seeks to go before a jury to contest Giuffre’s lawsuit. Prince Andrew’s legal team, in an 11-page document, has listed why they believe her lawsuit should be dismissed. The document states that Prince Andrew "admits that he met Epstein in or around 1999", but denies that he participated in any abuse with the late financier, a BBC report reads. Another point they raise is of consent— "Assuming, without admitting, that Giuffre has suffered any injury or damage alleged in the complaint, Giuffre's claims are barred by the doctrine of consent," the document states.
David Boies, a lawyer for Giuffre, told Al Jazeera that Andrew was trying to “blame the victim”. “We look forward to confronting Prince Andrew with his denials and attempts to blame Ms Giuffre for her own abuse,” he said. US District Judge Lewis Kaplan has said the trial could begin between September and December 2022.
