Prince Andrew sued for sexual assault

Washington, Aug 10: The lawyers for one of the alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew in a Manhattan court on Monday, US media reported.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre accused the 61-year-old British royal of having sexually assaulted her when she was 17.

"I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me," she said in a statement. "The powerful and rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but to reclaim one's life by speaking out and demanding justice."

Giuffre's lawyers filed the suit just days before the statute of limitations would have barred her from raising a legal case.

"If she doesn't do it now, she would be allowing him to escape any accountability for his actions," Giuffre"s attorney, David Boies told ABC news.

Prince Andrew denied having sex with Giuffre during an interview with the BBC in 2019.

Giuffre said the prince abused her several times including once in the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell when she was forced by Maxwell and Epstein to have sex with the royal against her will.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to sex trafficking charges and Epstein committed suicide a month after being arrested on the same charges.

Source: DW