Prince Andrew had his bid to get a civil case which alleges he sexually assaulted Virginia Giuffre dismissed by a U.S. judge on Wednesday.
The BBC reports his lawyers said the case should be thrown out, citing a 2009 deal she signed with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. But a New York judge ruled the claim could be heard.
Prince Andrew has consistently denied the allegations.
The motion to dismiss the lawsuit was outlined in a 46-page decision by Judge Lewis A Kaplan of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Kaplan’s decision to rejected the application from the Duke’s lawyers is likely to result in a high-profile case in September over Giuffre’s sensational allegations against the British royal.
Prince Andrew to ‘Step Back’ From Royal Duties For Foreseeable Future Over Epstein Links https://t.co/bcTsP4bb12
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 20, 2019
In the conclusion of his written ruling, Kaplan said: “For the foregoing reasons, defendant’s motion to dismiss the complaint or for a more definite statement is denied in all respects.”
In court documents, Giuffre said she was the victim of sex trafficking and abuse by late billionaire financier Epstein.
Part of her abuse involved being lent out to other powerful men, she alleges.
She is seeking unspecified damages in a civil suit against Andrew, but the sum could reportedly be in the millions of dollars.
Andrew, who has not been charged with any criminal offences, has vehemently denied all the allegations against him, as Breitbart News reported.
U.S. Prosecutor Says Prince Andrew Has Provided ‘Zero Cooperation’ in Jeffrey Epstein Probe https://t.co/S248bF1XrS
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) January 27, 2020
Prince Andrew said in an interview with BBC Newsnight in 2019 he had no recollection of ever meeting Virginia Giuffre.
His lawyers had argued that Giuffre agreed in court in 2009 not to sue anyone else connected to Epstein when she settled her damages claim against the billionaire sex offender.
The judge has now ruled otherwise.
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