Can Prince Andrew escape justice for sexual assault charges?

AFP, Posted on Tuesday, January 04, 2022 at 00:44

Can British Prince Andrew escape justice due to the protection of the 2009 agreement between his friend Jeffrey Epstein and one of his co-defendants, Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sexual offenses and sentenced to death in prison in 2019 for “sexual abuse”? ?

A federal judge in New York on Monday sentenced Mr. In 2009, a secret financial settlement settlement was released between Epstein and the American woman, Virginia Quefre, before a major trial in the case.

Under the terms of the agreement, Ms. Gufrey promised not to file a complaint against Jeffrey Epstein or “other potential defendants” in the entourage of the American multi-millionaire who sexually abused minors who committed suicide in a New York prison in August. 2019, prior to his criminal trial.

However, Prince Andrew, mr. Epstein’s friend and friend has been friends with Kislyn Maxwell for 30 years, and she filed a civil complaint in New York in August 2001 for “sexual harassment.” 17 years old.

This civil action seeking compensation has nothing to do with criminal proceedings, and Andrew, who “categorically” denies the allegations, has not been prosecuted for sexual offenses.

– Prevent Complaint –

According to Virginia Giuffre, Queen Elizabeth’s second son was sexually assaulted three times 20 years ago in the homes of Jeffrey Epstein and Kislyn Maxwell in New York, the US Virgin Islands and London.

But Prince’s lawyers have been doing everything for six months to block the complaint and say the 2009 agreement prevents legal action.

In fact, the settlement that allowed Virginia Gufre to receive $ 500,000 protected Jeffrey Epstein, but according to the inaccurate legal form of the 2009 contract document, he appears to be “another possible defendant.”

The Duke of York’s name or royal title is not mentioned, but Andrew’s lawyers argue that Ms Giuffre’s complaint is unfounded in law.

Instead, plaintiff’s attorney, David Boise, responded Monday that Prince was not “closed” by the agreement “not quoting him” and that in 2009 he “did not even know”.

The fate of the complaint will end on Tuesday. GMT is scheduled to hold a video conference hearing between Manhattan Federal Judge Louise Kaplan and attorneys for both parties at 3:00 p.m.

The judge has already rejected another of Andrew’s invalid requests on December 31, on the grounds that Ms Gufrey could not be prosecuted in the United States for “residing in Australia.”

– Civil case at the end of 2022? –

Judge Kaplan said if all of Andrew’s solutions fail, a civil trial could be held “between September and December 2022”.

In addition, Ms Kiefrey’s lawyers are requesting that the prince’s body not sweat, and therefore submit a medical certificate certifying that he never “sweated.”

In fact, in his last interview with the BBC in November 2019, he denied that what he considered to be a disaster was dancing “in sweat” with Virginia Cuffrey at a nightclub in London 20 years ago. The prince will not be able to “sweat” after the Falklands War in 1982, when his body will have produced too much adrenaline.

Widely distributed in the United Kingdom in particular, many photographs confirm the connections between Andrew, Epstein, Maxwell and Kiefray. In particular, the 2000 snapshot shows an American financier, British socialist and prince at a hunting party in the Sandringham garden (east of England).

Another photo shows Andrew and Quefre holding each other by the waist, with everyone smiling and Maxwell in the background, but the prince is skeptical of the photo’s authenticity.

For more than two years, his friendship with the Maxwell-Epstein couple plunged him into turmoil and forced him to retire from public life.

Kislyn Maxwell, for her part, was convicted in New York on December 29 of sexually abusing minors for the benefit of Jeffrey Epstein. Virginia Quefre, who was not a party to the Maxwell trial, welcomed the verdict and said she hoped others would “take stock”.