Britain’s Prince Andrew has reportedly agreed to make a statement under oath in the UK on March 10, as part of the civil case against the Duke of York, according to a source close.
Virginia Giuffre claims she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, a disgraced financier. She was forced to perform sex acts for the prince when she was 17, the source said.
David Boies, Giuffre’s attorney, stated last month that she was looking forward to “confronting Prince Andrew with his denies and attempts to blame Mr. Giuffre” for his abuses at his depositions and at trial.
Boies and Sigrid McCawley (another lawyer representing Giuffre) will conduct the deposition .
Andrew, 61 years old, repeatedly denied Giuffre’s claims.
Andrew brought a civil suit against Giuffre under New York’s Child Victims Act. This law was enacted in 2019. It expanded the statute limit in child sex abuse cases and gives survivors more options to seek justice. CNN reported that Giuffre’s attorney told CNN in August that the purpose of filing the civil case against Andrew was to prove that “all perpetrators” of abuse should be held responsible.
Andrew denied the allegations and requested a jury trial after a judge allowed the case to proceed, according to a legal file last monthin The United States District Court for Southern District of New York.
Andrew has until July 14th to answer possible questions under oath about the case. Andrew could be facing a trial between September 2022 and December 2022 if the case is not resolved.
The revelation of the deposition date comes as Queen Elizabeth marks 70th years on the throne. The ongoing legal battle will overshadow celebrations of the historic milestone throughout the year.
Buckingham Palace could be affected by the case. It is rare for a British senior royal to become involved in a civil lawsuit that attracts attention from all over the world.
His public reputation has already been severely damaged by the long-running allegations against Queen Elizabeth’s third child. He resigned from his royal duties in late 2019. Last month , he was also stripped of his military titles and charities.
