Rejecting arguments that a 2009 settlement with Jeffrey Epstein absolutely shielded the royal at this stage of the litigation, a federal judge refused on Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit accusing Prince Andrew of sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl.
lawandcrime.com
Rejecting arguments that a 2009 settlement with
Jeffrey Epstein absolutely shielded the royal at this stage of the litigation, a federal judge refused on Wednesday to dismiss a lawsuit accusing
Prince Andrew of sexually abusing a 17-year-old girl.
“For the foregoing reasons, defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint or for a more definite statement is denied in all respects” U.S. District Judge
Lewis Kaplan wrote in a 46-page opinion.
The ruling advances a lawsuit brought by
Virginia Giuffre (née Roberts), who claims that the Duke of York sexually assaulted her in three locations: Epstein’s New York mansion and private island in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the London home of
now-convicted sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell.
Before publicly identifying herself in court and in the press, Giuffre had sued Epstein in the Southern District of Florida as “Jane Doe 102.” In 2009, that case settled under terms that remained secret for more than a decade, until they were made public on Jan. 3 this year.
“Given the Court’s limited task of ruling on this motion, nothing in this opinion or previously in these proceedings properly may be construed as indicating a view with respect to the truth of the charges or countercharges or as to the intention of the parties in entering into the 2009 Agreement,” Kaplan added.
The prince’s lawyer
Andrew Brettler had argued that the expansive release clause protecting “other potential defendants” insulated Andrew, but the judge appeared to find that phrase inscrutable during
oral arguments on Jan. 4.
*Judge Kaplan's 46 page summary is linked in the article. So, Virginia Giuffre's lawsuit against Andrew can and will proceed thru the courts.
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