Prince Andrew Might Settle S*x Abuse Case with Virginia Giuffre Out of Court to Avoid Trial
(Picture: BBC)
A source close to accuser Virginia Giuffre claims Andrew could have avoided the lawsuit by just apologizing to her.
Prince Andrew is willing to go to any length to avoid going to trial in the sex assault allegation against him, and he may even settle with his accuser outside of the courtroom.
According to a report in Mail Online, Andrew’s legal team is considering an out-of-court settlement with Virginia Giuffre, who has accused the royal of having sex with her three times when she was still a minor and was being trafficked by convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
After a hearing over their request to have the case dismissed on the basis of a previous private settlement between Epstein and Giuffre allegedly did not go well for them, the lawyers are considering other possibilities.
As per Ibtimes, if the rumors that Judge Lewis Kaplan would deny their motion to dismiss the case prove to be true, insiders say a private settlement between the Duke of York and his accuser “remains on the table.” His legal team is also considering the “attritional impact” the lawsuit could have on the British monarchy’s prestige if it goes to trial, especially since Andrew’s mother, Queen Elizabeth II, will be celebrating her Platinum Jubilee of reign this year.
One source explained, “Obviously, this is a US case involving US lawyers and involving a US civil lawsuit. In reality, 99 percent of US civil litigations are settled out of court. A settlement would always be an option on the table, as that’s where the vast majority end up. There is also the wider pressure and attritional impact to consider.”
According to sources familiar with the case, no talks on an out-of-court settlement have yet taken place, but it hasn’t been ruled out either.
Meanwhile, a source close to accuser Virginia Giuffre claims Andrew could have avoided the lawsuit years ago if he had simply apologized to her. Rather, the British king claims that he has no recall of ever meeting her.
The insider told the New York Post, “Virginia has always just wanted the prince to acknowledge that he did something he shouldn’t have, she wants him to apologize. She has never made this all about money. I think she would have dropped this a long, long time ago had the prince said he was guilty of wrongdoing, but he’s embroiled in denial which has brought him down.”
