Prince Andrew’s sex accuser signed a $500,000 (£370,000) deal with Jeffrey Epstein agreeing not to take legal action against some of the paedophile’s associates, it emerged last night.
The Duke of York’s lawyers will argue today in New York that Virginia Roberts cannot sue him because of the confidential compensation deal.
According to the prince’s legal team, Miss Roberts was signed by Giuffre (now married to Giuffre), denying her rights to sue him in court. She did so 13 years ago when she received payment from Epstein, a sex offender.
Experts doubt the “vague” wording will help Andrew today in his claim to damages brought by Miss Roberts. She claims she was forced to have sexual relations with the Duke.
Miss Roberts is 38 and claims she was 17, when she went to bed with Andrew. She did this under the orders of Epstein, a close friend of Andrew. Roberts is seeking to sue for battery and intentional infliction emotional distress.
Andrew has repeatedly called them ‘baseless’, and she denied the allegations. He claimed that they were a request for a “payday at his expense”.
Prince Andrew’s sex accuser signed a £370,000 ($500,000) deal with Jeffrey Epstein agreeing not to take legal action against some of the paedophile’s associates
Virginia Roberts was 17 years old when the Duke of York photographed him with his arm around Virginia’s waist. Ghislaine Maxiwell can be seen in the background. Roberts says she was forced to sex three times with the royal
Today, lawyers for the Duke of York argue before a New York court the secret compensation agreement, which was made public last night by Virginia Roberts, prohibits Virginia Roberts’ from suing him
Last night, the Epstein Settlement, long a subject of speculation about its contents, was made public for all to see.
While it doesn’t mention Andrew directly, Andrew’s legal team will use the document in court today to prove Miss Roberts is not entitled to unspecified compensation.
They will focus their attention on the clause where Miss Roberts agreed to stop pursuing anyone who might be considered a potential defendant in connection to Epstein.
This 12-page agreement shows that she agreed to the release of Epstein’s “agent(s), attorney (s), predecessor(s), successor[s], heir[s], administrator(s), assign[s], and/or employee[s]”.
Also, she agreed to not pursue ‘anyother person or entity that could have been included in the case as potential defendant’ (‘Other Potential Defendants’). This includes any and all actions and cause of Virginia Roberts including suits… and demands in law or equity for punitive or compensatory damages.
Amber Melville Brownn, an attorney at London’s Withersworldwide who specializes in reputation, stated that if the Duke described himself as a “potential defendant”, it was a risky statement.
She explained that although a court could accept Prince Andrew’s release of legal liability, it would not be able to remove him from the reputational risk he is likely to sustain from his association with it.
Nick Goldstone of international law firm Ince was the head of dispute resolution. Andrew said that the settlement wouldn’t help him because Miss Roberts signed a section in which she would release all claims she had or has now.
According to Mr Goldstone, “Any future claim may arise and is not covered by this settlement agreement.” The settlement agreement… does not give the prince an escape card.
Sky News was told last night by Mark Stephens, a media lawyer, that the deal had “real merit” for Prince Andrew. He said: “On the surface, it seems like there’s a release for Prince Andrew.
I think that this agreement is one of Prince Andrew’s most memorable days in court. The terms of this agreement will make Virginia’s lawyers very nervous. He has the best chance to get out of this agreement. [of this case]But I doubt it before an appeal.
The Daily Mail received this information from a source who is close to the duke of York and his legal team: “The document forms the central plank for the motion to disqualify.”
“It’s certainly not the only problem, because we believe that the lawsuit is incomplete in other areas. It lacks specificity, it has no dates or times, and there are no locations.
“But we think the Epstein agreement provides a compelling argument for why the case should not be heard.”
Andrew B Brettler is his attorney. He will represent Andrew in court today. Andrew declined to comment.
This news comes at an awful time for the Duke. Last week, his old friend Ghislaine maxwell was found guilty of recruiting and trading underage girls to Epstein.
Her sentencing will take place at a later time and she could spend as much as 65 years prison.
Giuffre’s agreement with Epstein shows that she paid $500,000 to settle any claims against her.
Release of the settlement between Jeffrey Epstein, Virginia Giuffre Andrew’s name isn’t mentioned anywhere in this document.
Giuffre also agreed in the 12 page agreement to allow Epstein’s agents, attorney(s), predecessors, successors and heirs as well as administrator(s), assignee(s) or employee(s).
Giuffre also agreed to release ‘any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant (‘Other Potential Defendants’) from all, and all manner of, action and actions of Virginia Roberts, including State or Federal, cause and causes of action (common law or statutory), suits…and demands whatsoever in law or inequity for compensatory or punitive damages’.
Andrew Brettler, Andrew’s attorney, responded to Giuffre’s accusations. He argued that Andrew had been identified in Epstein’s complaint as “royalty” and therefore qualified for the settlement.
Brettler was speaking about Giuffre’s claim that she was required to be sexually abused by Epstein’s adult male peers (including royalty, politicians academicians business men and/or other personal and professional acquaintances).
Brettler claimed that Giuffre had dismissed the battery claim against Alan Dershowitz’s lawyer, after which he brought the same agreement. She should also do so for Andrew.
The Duke faced a setback last week as Judge Kaplan denied his request for a halt to the case on grounds Giuffre does not live in the US.
Andrew tried various technical arguments to stop the case. He also claimed that the law under which the case was brought is not constitutional.
For weeks the Duke refused service, until Judge Kaplan asked British legal authorities for intervention and served him.
Giuffre’s lawyers already have requested documentation to support Andrew’s claim during an interview that he didn’t sweat.
This was said by the Duke to be evidence that he did not have a night of dancing in a London club with Giuffre before having sex in 2001, as Giuffre claims.
Giuffre seeks unspecified damages. However, there are rumors that the amount could reach into the thousands of dollars.
According to her, she claims that she was trafficked into having sex by Andrew as a 17-year-old minor in the US.
David Boies of Giuffre said that Andrew, his lawyer, was not involved with the Release and that he did not know.
“But, what matters is what Court’s views are.”
Brettler did not comment.
It was claimed that Buckingham Palace “sleeped” into Prince Andrew’s crisis, and is now paralyzed by indecision about how to deal with it.
Sources close to the royal family claim that the Duke operated in ‘impunity” as a Royal Family member because the staff was too afraid to challenge him.
They say that he can still be considered for public service, even with the controversy surrounding his friendship to Jeffrey Epstein.
Friday was the first day that Maxwell, who was sentenced to multiple child sex crimes for Epstein’s boyfriend, was publicly seen.
He also said to Emily Maitlis in his Newsnight interview that Roberts claimed they had slept in London on their date, but he actually was in Woking at Pizza Express. This has also been confirmed by him.
Miss Roberts claims to have slept three times with Andrew in 2001. She was then 17, and she was under Epstein’s control.
Maxwell’s accusations were denied by the prince. After Maxwell’s conviction, the pressure has intensified on Maxwell.
A senior royal advisor spoke on condition anonymity to say that although no one outside the Prince’s personal office knew the extent of his friendship with Maxwell and Epstein, it was an ongoing issue for the Royal household.
These developments are terrible for the Duke as Ghislaine Maxwell, his ex-close friend and former confidante was recently convicted for recruiting and trafficking girls underage for Epstein
Prince Andrew, who was serving a sentence for felony fraud in 2011, was photographed taking a stroll along the Central Park of New York with Epstein.
‘Anyone who even dared to offer their professional advice that maybe his way wasn’t the right one was met with a decisive ‘f*** off out of my office’,’ the source said.
Other former royal staff back up the account, claiming that the prince behaved as though he didn’t need to answer anyone and allowed himself to “go rogue”.
Andrew’s position as roving trade ambassador was particularly troubling, according to some. He was repeatedly criticised for his willingness to meet with highly-controversial businessmen and leaders around the world.
An ex-member of Buckingham Palace’s staff recalled the ‘impossible task’ it took to convince either the prince or his advisors to follow any instructions. “The duke stated that he only answered to the Queen,” they added.
He wouldn’t listen to anyone’s advice. [He]His actions were completely unassisted and the staff couldn’t stand up against him, even though they were a part of the Royal Family. He benefited from the support of Her Majesty, who almost always supported him.
“There is an element of Buckingham Palace sleepingwalking into the whole crisis. Andrew would lie to his family and say that the whole thing would go away.
Andrew took a break from official duties after the Newsnight interview. Insiders stated that Andrew’s return to public life was not possible as it would be ‘unsatisfactory’. According to them, ‘It would make everyone’s lives easier to stop the boiling now and end it all for good.
Andrew will attempt to get Miss Roberts’ case dismissed on Tuesday.
Her legal team filed court papers on Friday to clarify that they will test her Newsnight alibi. On Friday, he denied her claims that he was sweating during their dance in London nightclubs. Instead, he claimed that he had a “peculiar medical condition” which meant it was impossible for him not to perspire.
His lawyers want him to show proof of his “alleged medical condition, anhidrosis”.
The police could request that his bodyguards from the past testify as to the whereabouts and activities of the duke during the time Miss Roberts claimed they were having sexual relations. Buckingham Palace refused to comment on the matter last night.