Virginia Giuffre has sued Prince Andrew saying he sexually assaulted her when she was 17. AP
Virginia Giuffre has sued Prince Andrew saying he sexually assaulted her when she was 17. AP
Virginia Giuffre has sued Prince Andrew saying he sexually assaulted her when she was 17. AP
Virginia Giuffre has sued Prince Andrew saying he sexually assaulted her when she was 17. AP

Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre sues Prince Andrew, citing assault at 17


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One of Jeffrey Epstein’s long-time accusers sued Prince Andrew on Monday, claiming he sexually assaulted her when she was 17.

Lawyers for Virginia Giuffre filed the lawsuit in Manhattan Federal Court in New York.

Ms Giuffre said the lawsuit was brought under the Child Victims Act to allege she was trafficked to him and sexually abused by him, claims Andrew has denied.

“I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me,” she said. “The powerful and 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 to reclaim one’s life by speaking out and demanding justice.

“I did not come to this decision lightly. As a mother and a wife, my family comes first … but I knew if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down.”

In late 2019, Prince Andrew told the BBC's Newsnight that he never had sex with Ms Giuffre: “It didn’t happen."

He said he has “no recollection” of ever meeting her and told an interviewer there are “a number of things that are wrong” about Ms Giuffre’s account, which states the encounter occurred in 2001.

“I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened,” Prince Andrew said.

The lawsuit, which sought unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, claims the prince abused Ms Giuffre on several occasions when she was under the age of 18.

It alleged that the prince sexually abused her in London at the home of Ghislaine Maxwell, in Epstein's New York mansion and on Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands.

Ms Maxwell, 59, has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges in Manhattan federal court, where she faces trial in November.

Epstein, 66, took his own life in a federal jail in Manhattan in August 2019, a month after he was arrested on sex trafficking charges.

As part of its continuing probe into Epstein and his encounters with women and teenage girls, Manhattan federal prosecutors formally requested to speak with Prince Andrew.

The request, similar to issuing a subpoena, was made under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, an agreement between the two countries to share evidence and information in criminal cases.

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Quick facts on cancer
  • Cancer is the second-leading cause of death worldwide, after cardiovascular diseases 
  •  About one in five men and one in six women will develop cancer in their lifetime 
  • By 2040, global cancer cases are on track to reach 30 million 
  • 70 per cent of cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries 
  • This rate is expected to increase to 75 per cent by 2030 
  • At least one third of common cancers are preventable 
  • Genetic mutations play a role in 5 per cent to 10 per cent of cancers 
  • Up to 3.7 million lives could be saved annually by implementing the right health
    strategies 
  • The total annual economic cost of cancer is $1.16 trillion

   

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Breast cancer in men: the facts

1) Breast cancer is men is rare but can develop rapidly. It usually occurs in those over the ages of 60, but can occasionally affect younger men.

2) Symptoms can include a lump, discharge, swollen glands or a rash. 

3) People with a history of cancer in the family can be more susceptible. 

4) Treatments include surgery and chemotherapy but early diagnosis is the key. 

5) Anyone concerned is urged to contact their doctor

 

Updated: August 10, 2021, 4:12 AM`