Prince Andrew Sued Over Claims of Abuse by Epstein Victim

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Prince Andrew is in hot waters again.

An alleged victim of sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein has filed a lawsuit on Monday against UK’s Prince Andrew in federal court in New York. The victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, claimed to have been abused when she was underage by the British royal in a New York mansion in 2001, something he vehemently denied on previous occasions.

This time around though, the duke of York avoided denying the allegation after British newspaper The Daily Mail revealed a fax containing information about his whereabouts on the 11th of April, 2001: “Private address in New York,” later on being confirmed to be Epstein’s home in Manhattan’s Upper East Side.

This revelation gave a strong push for Giuffre’s case, who also claims to have been abused by the Prince on multiple occasions when she was 17, including in Epstein's partner Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home.

In a statement to ABC News, Giuffre said: “I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but one can reclaim her life by speaking out and demanding justice.”

Prince Andrew’s spokesperson in Britain refused to give any comment on the lawsuit.

This is not the first time the Duke’s name has floated in Epstein-related lawsuits, as he was in a 2015 court filing by another alleged Epstein victim who later was revealed to be Giuffre. The case was brought forward by women alleging to have been exploited by Epstein, the multimillionaire American who was convicted and arrested for trafficking underage girls to his private Caribbean island.

Epstein was found dead in his prison cell - a cell designed for preventing suicide - on August 10, 2019. His death remains questioned by many, notably as his list of connections and clientele was expansive and included highly powerful and influential figures, such as former US President Bill Clinton, former US President Donald Trump, former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and UK’s Prince Andrew.

Virginia Giuffre, 38, is living now in Australia with her family. The lawsuit she filed was brought under the Child Victims Act and sought unspecified damages and compensation.