The defence claims her accounts of incidents have changed over time
The Duke of York, Prince Andrew, has suggested that Virginia Giuffre may be experiencing “false memories” as she continues with her sexual assault case against him.
According to court papers summarising his defence, Andrew’s lawyers believe that Giuffre “may suffer from false memories” as they they allege that “the circumstances under which [Andrew] allegedly assaulted her have repeatedly changed over the years”.
Moreover, his defence have asked to take evidence under oath from husband Robert Giuffre, under the premise that he may have some insight as to his wife’s “alleged emotional and psychological harm”.
As for Giuffre, her legal team have relayed that she will not be happy with a “purely financial settlement”, having once been paid off by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell back in 2009.
"I’m calling BS on this, because that’s what it is.”
Prince Andrew says he has no recollection of meeting Virginia Giuffre, nor of any photo being taken with her and he emphatically denies he had any form of sexual contact or relationship with her. pic.twitter.com/aqQ76kpPHI
— BBC Panorama (@BBCPanorama) December 2, 2019
The 38-year-old will continue to pursue her lawsuit which Prince Andrew has repeatedly tried to have thrown out, one reason being that she lives in Australia and not the US, where the case is being heard.
As per Sky News, Prince Andrew is also seeking to have Giuffre’s psychologist, Dr Judith Lightfoot, questioned; the suggestion being that she would be able to provide more “relevant information” as to how “alleged abuse by Epstein and Maxwell, childhood abuse and trauma, and claimed emotional and psychological harm and damages” could have impacted her testimony.
To recap, Giuffre (formerly known as Roberts) claims that Prince Andrew sexually abused her back in 2001, when she was just 17. While Prince Andrew continues to deny allegations, his connection to convicted sex trafficker Maxwell and the late Epstein means allegations remain rife.
It is said that the former Royal Highness – having now been stripped of his titles – had been spotted on Epstein’s ‘Lolita Express’ which regularly flew to his infamous private island.
Related links
- Beatrice and Eugenie ‘fully support’ Prince Andrew, source claims
- Lawyer explains ‘tactical reason’ why Queen revoked Andrew’s royal status
- Prince Harry ‘fears family not safe in UK’ as he files claim over police protection
