CNN
Prince Andrew has formally denied allegations that he sexually abused Virginia Giuffre and has demanded a jury trial in her civil lawsuit, according to a legal filing Wednesday in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York.
The 11-page filing responds paragraph-by-paragraph to the allegations in Giuffre’s lawsuit, in which she alleged that the late financier Jeffrey Epstein trafficked her and forced her to have sex with his friends, including Andrew, and that Andrew was aware she was underage in the US at the time.
She alleged Andrew sexually abused her at Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands, at his mansion in Manhattan and at his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell’s home in London.
In his response Wednesday, the prince repeatedly and flatly denied the abuse.
“Prince Andrew denies that he was a co-conspirator of Epstein or that Epstein trafficked girls to him,” his attorneys Andrew B. Brettler and Melissa Y. Lerner wrote.
He also denied he was a “close friend” of Maxwell and denied that he became a “frequent guest” in Epstein’s homes around the world. On other points, the attorneys write that the prince “lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations.”
Still, Andrew did admit in the court filing that he met Epstein in 1999; that Epstein and Maxwell attended the prince’s 40th birthday party in 2000; and that Andrew was photographed with Epstein in Central Park and stayed at Epstein’s New York City mansion in 2010.
Finally, the filing puts forth 11 affirmative defenses, including one that states, “Giuffre’s alleged causes of action are barred in whole or in part by her own wrongful conduct and the doctrine of unclean hands.”
Giuffre’s attorney David Boies said in a statement they looked forward to a trial.
“Prince Andrew’s answer continues his approach of denying any knowledge or information concerning the claims against him, and purporting to blame the victim of the abuse for somehow bringing it on herself,” he said. “We look forward to confronting Prince Andrew with his denials and attempts to blame Ms. Giuffre for her own abuse at his deposition and at trial.”
