Will Prince Andrew go to court?
It seems that Prince Andrew will still have to travel 'across the pond' and testify before a US judge in a lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre.
Although he hoped U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan would dismiss a lawsuit filed against him by Virginia Giuffre, such a scenario did not unfold. The judge said it was too early to consider the submitted requests to question her charges, and that Prince Andrew would only be able to do so at trial.
In fact, this was the worst nightmare for Prince Andrew and the entire royal family, since now, obviously, the Queen's favorite son, will have to travel to New York and try to escape in a civil lawsuit, so as not to be accused of sexual abuse of a minor.
The judge's decision to reject his pleas made it clear that the fact that Andrew is a member of the British royal family does not mean that he is not the only man who sinned when he repeatedly forced 17-year-old Virginia to have sex.
The Duke of York, who was removed from all duties by the Queen after the scandal broke, further damaged his reputation and could be left without most of his wealth. Namely, after the Queen refused to pay his court costs, the debts accumulated, which forced Prince Andrew to sell his luxury villa in the Swiss Alps. Who would say that this is going to happen?
The whole scandal could not have come at a worse time than this, as everything in the UK is currently subordinated to the celebration of the Queen's platinum jubilee, which will mark 70 years as she sits on the throne. The fear is even greater because it is expected that some members of the royal family, as well as their assistants, are expected to be summoned to the American court this fall, in order to give their testimony.
Although Andrew, but probably the entire royal family, had hoped to reach an out-of-court settlement and force Virginia to give up everything for a certain amount, this was not likely to happen. Her friends claim that she will not agree to this and that this is her way of sending a public message that anyone, even if they have incredible power, money and privileges, will face the full force of the law if they abuse minor children.
It is now up to the American court and their decision whether the trial will continue, which would ultimately result in a court summons addressed to Prince Andrew that he must appear in person. Legal experts claim that he could deny all this and ask for his statement to be used instead of testifying live.
Recall, Queen Elizabeth II according to foreign media reports, is paying millions to a team of lawyers that includes lawyers Melissa Lerner and Andrew Brettler, who are believed to charge around two thousand dollars an hour – all to prove the innocence of the prince who was acquitted of the royal duties.
A lawsuit filed by Virginia in a New York court states that the American financier, otherwise convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, “lent” her to Prince Andrew for sexual relations. Giuffre said Andrew sexually abused her three times at Ghislaine Maxwell’s home in London more than 20 years ago when she was still a minor.
