“Prince” Andrew to Settle With Virginia Giuffre in Sex Abuse Lawsuit

Despite pontificating that he had never met Virginia Giuffe, the so called Prince Andrew will reportedly settle with her after allegations that he raped her when she was a minor. The full amount of the settlement is supposed to remain undisclosed, but a statement was released and shared via CNN:

“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights. Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. […] It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years,” the letter continues. “Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.”

For a long time, Andrew denied that he was responsible for sexually assaulting Giuffe and denied being a conspirator of the late Jeffery Epstein. Notoriously, he once said that he was unable to sweat due to a medical condition, in an attempt to debunk part of Giuffe’s story.

Now, according to the Guardian, Rachael Maskell, the Labour MP for York Central, has said she has met with Commons officials to find a way to force Prince Andrew to give up his title of Duke of York. While we may not know the official amount of the monetary settlement, there are guesstimates being made. Ann Olivarius, a senior partner of the McAllister Olivarius law firm, said she expected the settlement to be “worth at least £10m and potentially more based on previous cases settled with wealthy individuals.”

“The size of the compensation is probably massive by any British standards, and it’s probably very substantial by American standards – and American standards are very high,” Olivarius told the Guardian. Of course, this money will be coming out of the Royal pocket, regardless of the total amount. Christine Emba, an opinion columnist and editor for The Washington Post, wrote an excellent piece that I think sums up the feels that might be coming up:

Whether you’re British royalty, a bulge-bracket bank or a venture-capital-funded food delivery start-up, there is often some way to make the wheels of justice in civil cases grind to a halt — if you have the resources. Settlements in civil cases are a feature of our legal system available to those who can afford it.

Giuffre might well have her reasons for settling. Revisiting events in sexual assault cases can reopen old wounds and re-victimize survivors. Litigation can be grueling, drawn-out and uncertain, and settlements can sometimes be used to fashion better remedies than a court order. Sometimes, of course, the settlement amount can be quite convincing on its own.

Giuffre has been the face of going after one of the world’s oldest and most powerful institutions and won. That is something I find deeply impressive. I’m also glad to see the U.K. press is dragging Andrew front and back. He deserves it and more. He may have settled, but this taint will never go away. Good.

(via CNN, image Steve Parsons – WPA Pool/Getty Images)