Prince Andrew must answer questions in civil sexual assault case filed by Epstein accuser Giuffre by July 14, US judge rules

A US judge has ruled the Duke of York, Prince Andrew, must answer questions from lawyers representing Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre, who launched a civil case over claims the royal sexually assaulted her, by July 14, 2022.

US District Judge Lewis Kaplan set the deadline for the deposition to take place under a scheduling order that has been agreed by Prince Andrew and Giuffre, marking the latest development in the civil case against the senior royal.

38-year-old Giuffre launched the legal action against Prince Andrew over claims that he sexually assaulted her at three locations, including London and New York City. She had previously accused the now-deceased convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein of abusing her.

Prince Andrew currently has until October 29 to formally respond to the lawsuit, after the US judge accepted he had been served papers informing him a civil case had been filed. A court conference between both parties will take place on November 3, and Giuffre has a deadline of December 15 to make any amendments to the complaint.

The senior royal’s legal team has been granted permission to review a 2009 settlement deal made between Giuffre and Epstein, which Prince Andrew’s representatives believe shields the Duke of York “from any and all potential liability.”

The 61-year-old Duke of York, who is the Queen’s second son, has repeatedly denied the allegations, including in an infamous BBC interview that led to him retreating from public life indefinitely.

Earlier in October, police in the UK announced that they would be taking “no further action” against the royal over the allegations made by Giuffre, following a review that was sparked by the filing of the civil action in the US. However, UK authorities made no comment on the legitimacy of the civil case, simply stating that they would continue to “liaise with other law enforcement agencies” on “matters related to Jeffrey Epstein.”

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