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61-year-old Prince Andrew is facing a lawsuit that alleges he sexually abused teenager Virginia Giuffre who was 17 years old at the time.
Beginning in 2001, Giuffre says she was coerced into sexual abuse with Prince Andrew by disgraced billionaire Jeffrey Epstein and companion Ghislaine Maxwell.
Giuffre said she was sexually abused by Andrew at Maxwell’s London home, at Epstein’s New York mansion and at Epstein’s estate in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The lawsuit overcame a major hurdle this past week as a judge refused to dismiss the case.
Soon after, we learned that Buckingham Palace announced that Queen Elizabeth has stripped her son Prince Andrew of all military titles and patronages.
He will no longer be entitled to use His Royal Highness (HRH) as a form of address.
This action means Prince Andrew will have to defend his sexual abuse case in a U.S. court as a “private citizen.”
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Recently released documents show that Andrew’s lawyers argue Giuffre “may suffer from false memories,” and say she should be questioned about “theory of false memories” along with other matters discussed during her sessions with Lightfoot and any prescriptions Lightfoot wrote for her.
Andrew’s lawyers want Robert Giuffre to be questioned about the circumstances under which the couple met around 2002 and their household finances. They want the testimony from the two, who are both Australian residents, by April 29 or as soon as possible after that.
Giuffre’s lawyers, meanwhile, have filed similar requests for Andrew’s side. They want testimony from his former assistant, Robert Olney, whose name they say appeared in Epstein’s phone book under “Duke of York,” which they say indicates he knew about Andrew’s travel to Epstein’s properties.
Her lawyers are also seeking testimony from Shukri Walker, who they say has been quoted in news reports talking about how she saw Andrew at the London nightclub Tramp during the time period in question with a young woman who might have been Giuffre.
The AP does not typically identify people who say they are victims of sexual assault unless they choose to come forward publicly, as Giuffre has.
