US court to hold pre-trial hearing for sexual assault allegation against Prince Andrew

A United States court will be holding a pre-trial conference on September 13 for a civil suit filed by a woman who claimed Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her. As per a report by Sky News, the hearing on Monday will take place in New York City to determine if Virginia Giuffre’s legal team has done satisfactorily to deliver the papers concerning the civil lawsuit to the UK’s Duke of York. Reportedly, her lawyers have said that the documents were given to a Metropolitan Police officer on duty at the main gates of the British Royal’s home in Windsor Great Park on August 27.

However, the law firm representing Prince Andrew, Blackfords, has questioned if Giuffre’s lawyers’ cited documents were properly served. The media outlet cited the September 6 letter referenced in court documents filed by Giuffre’s lawyers. Blackfords has indicated a possible challenge to the court’s jurisdiction in the case. Additionally, as per the report, US judge Lewis Kaplan of the District Court for the Southern District of New York will ultimately decide if the efforts to present the prince with the papers were enough or if more is essential. 

Giuffre’s claims against Prince Andrew

Giuffre has claimed that she was trafficked by the Duke of York’s former friend and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Prince Andrew. She also claimed that the incident took place when she was 17 and a minor under the law in the United States. However, YK’s Queen Elizabeth II’s second son, Andrew, has denied the claims against him. 

Notably, as per the report, if he tries to ignore the lawsuit, Prince Andrew could be found in default and ordered to pay damages. But, if the case lands up in court, it could lead to UK media tarnishing the image of the Royal Family. Reportedly, Giuffre’s attorney, David Boies has said in the court documents that it was impossible for the Duke of York to be unaware of the civil lawsuit. Boies reportedly wrote, “Attorneys at Blackfords, who he has apparently instructed to evade and contest service, have confirmed that Prince Andrew himself already has notice of this lawsuit and is evaluating his chances of success.”

"And even if Blackfords had not confirmed as much, any other conclusion would be implausible - reputable media outlets around the world reported on the filing of plaintiff's complaint, and hundreds, if not thousands, of articles about this lawsuit have been published,” he added as per Sky News.

IMAGE: AP