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Updated September 11th, 2021 at 08:39 IST

Prince Andrew served with legal papers in sexual assault lawsuit, accuser's lawyers claim

Lawyers for an American woman who has accused Britain’s Prince Andrew of sexual abuse claim that they have successfully served him with legal papers.

Reported by: Bhavya Sukheja
Prince Andrew
IMAGE: AP | Image:self
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Lawyers for an American woman who has accused Britain’s Prince Andrew of sexual abuse claim that they have successfully served him with legal papers in a US civil suit. According to AP, attorneys for Virginia Giuffre said that the documents were handed over to a Metropolitan Police Officer on duty at the main gates of Prince Andrew’s home in Windsor. Now, Prince Andrew would be obliged to respond within 21 days of the summons and if he fails to respond, “judgement by default” will be entered against him for the relief demanded in the complaint. 

“If you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint,” Giuffre's lawyers said in the documents.

An answer is due from Prince Andrew to the affidavit by September 17. Prince Andrew has denied all the claims by Giuffre. A US district judge will now determine whether the papers were in fact “served” before any case can proceed. A virtual conference on the next stages of the court is scheduled for a New York court on Monday. 

Accusations against Prince Andrew 

If the prince tries to ignore the lawsuit then he runs the risk that the court could find him in default and order him to pay damages. It is worth mentioning that the lawsuit was filed last month in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. Giuffre, who is an accuser of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, claimed that she was brought to the UK at the age of 17 to have sex with Prince Andrew. 

It is a civil case. Giuffre wants the court to decide whether her allegations are true and whether the duke should pay her damages. The case alleges that Prince Andrew abused Giuffre at the London home of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and at Epstein's homes in Manhattan and the US Virgin Islands. It also claims that the prince engaged in sexual acts without her consent and also after known how old she was and that she was a “sex-trafficking victim”. 

According to AP, legal experts now suggest that the case left Prince Andrew with no good option while he seeks to repair his image and return to public life. If he decides to fight the case, he could face years of sordid headlines. The lawsuit is also another unwanted story for the British royals, reminding people of Prince Andrew’s links to Epstein, who died in jail in 2019. 

(With inputs from AP)
 

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Published September 11th, 2021 at 08:39 IST

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