Prince Andrew will make a sizeable donation to Giuffre’s charity, as well as a public statement clarifying that he never meant to “malign” her character.
A federal judge has formally dismissed the sex abuse lawsuit against Prince Andrew.
According to National Public Radio, Virginia Giuffre’s complaint against the British royal was dismissed after attorneys for both sides reached a settlement.
The agreement, notes N.P.R., requires Andrew to make a substantial donate to Giuffre’s charity. The prince has also publicly declared that he never intended to malign Giuffre’s character.
On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan signed court papers dismissing the lawsuit, which was filed in August.
Kaplan, says N.P.R., had given both sides until March 17th to reach a settlement, saying he would set a trial date if they were unable to make a deal.
David Boies, an attorney for Giuffre, explained the terms of the settlement.
“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights,” Boies said. “Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks.”
Boies observed that Prince Andrew has since acknowledged that his long-time acquaintance, the late billionaire Jeffrey Epstein, trafficked “countless young girls,” adding that Andrew “regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”
While Boies opined that the settlement is a positive development, he said it should “not be the last step in holding Jeffrey Epstein’s enablers and participants to account.”
In earlier statement, attorney Sigrid McCawley—a partner at Boies Schiller Flexner, the firm that represented Giuffre throughout her lawsuit—upheld the agreement as a victory for the survivors of sexual assault.
“As a managing partner at a firm that has from its beginning acted upon the belief that the law should be marshalled to bring justice to the most vulnerable, I can say, without hesitation, that our representation of survivors upholds that tradition,” McCawley said. “I am very pleased with the resolution of Virginia Giuffre’s litigation against Prince Andrew.”
Giuffre was among the first women to have accused Jeffrey Epstein of trafficking underage girl.
In her complaint, Giuffre alleged that Prince Andrew sexually assaulted her on several different occasions, in different cities, countries, and continents.
Despite the settlement, Prince Andrew maintains that he never sexually abused or otherwise had intimate relations with Giuffre.
The agreement allows Andrew to deny any and all wrongdoing.
Sources
Judge dismisses lawsuit by Jeffrey Epstein accuser against Prince Andrew following settlement
Prince Andrew agrees to settle sexual assault lawsuit
Prince Andrew Has Paid Settlement to Virginia Giuffre, Her Lawyer Says
Sex abuse lawsuit against Prince Andrew has been formally dismissed by a judge
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