What does the verdict against Ghislaine Maxwell mean for Prince Andrew? The royal is also said to be involved and to have sexually abused a minor.
New York – On Wednesday evening (local time, December 29, 2021) the jury made a decision: They found Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime partner and confidante of Jeffrey Epstein, guilty on five of six counts. In the trial, which began in late November, Maxwell was accused of having played a central role as Epstein’s accomplice in building a ring against the sexual abuse of young girls.
The case caused quite a stir in the US because the wealthy entrepreneur Epstein was known to celebrities such as former Presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, billionaire Bill Gates and Prince Andrew from Great Britain. The latter could now be under a lot of pressure.
Allegations of abuse also against Prince Andrew
There is a civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew – namely by Virginia Roberts Giuffre. The Duke of York is said to have had sex with her several times when she was 17 and was hired as a massage therapist by Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew denies the allegations. He couldn’t remember ever having met Giuffre. However, there is a photo circulating that shows Prince Andrew putting his arm around the waist of the then underage girl.
Giuffre did not take part in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell in New York. For this reason, too, Prince Andrew was hardly mentioned, although his name is almost certainly listed in Maxwell’s address book. Neither their defense nor the prosecution called Giuffre as a witness – which also kept Prince Andrew out of the focus of the trial.
It is unclear why Giuffre, who was actually “available”, was not called. Including Prince Andrew, however, could have complicated the case. This is due, for example, to the fact that Giuffre’s statements in recent years could be found to be slightly contradictory. Prosecutors would be jeopardizing their credibility, said Mark Stephens of Howard Kennedy law firm to The Guardian.
Ghislaine Maxwell trial: only marginally mentioned Prince Andrew
This is exactly what Prince Andrew’s lawyers pursue: to question Giuffre’s credibility. The alleged victim himself claims that any discrepancies are innocent mistakes and the result of traumatic experiences.
So Prince Andrew was only mentioned in passing in the Ghislaine-Maxwell trial, namely when it was said that the son of Queen Elizabeth II had been on board the “Lolita Express”, Epstein’s private plane. The pilots did not see anything there that could be interpreted as sexual activity.
“I guess you could say that Prince Andrew must feel something like relief that Giuffre wasn’t there at the trial,” says Stephens. “Because it distances him a little from the case.” But he added that it made no difference if the jury acquitted Maxwell. The reputation of the British royal was already tarnished by his connection to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Prince Andrew: Is there a trial? Decision in January
Now Prince Andrew has to prepare for the next round of civil proceedings against him. A hearing in New York is scheduled for January 4, 2022. His lawyers want to convince Judge Lewis Kaplan to drop the lawsuit. They argue that the plaintiff no longer lives in the United States at all, but in Australia.
From those around Giuffre it was said that the Duke of York team must be quite “desperate”. It shows that Prince Andrew and his legal team have absolutely no confidence in their own arguments, an anonymous source told The Daily Beast. “That’s a pretty stupid argument. But they probably have nothing else. ”Her other arguments are the same as those Ghislaine Maxwell’s defense lawyers have already used, and unsuccessfully. Part of the defense consisted of questioning the alleged victims’ memories and motives. Prince Andrew could try to turn the tables and make Virginia Giuffre the culprit.
Should there be a process, it could begin between September and December 2022. (lrg)
