Legal experts have questioned the strength of Prince Andrew's defence against Virginia Giuffre's civil lawsuit, suggesting the filing may do little to avert a potentially disastrous trial. The documents lodged with the US district court on Wednesday deny allegations that the prince sexually abused Ms Giuffre when she was a minor, while also seeking to have the case dismissed on grounds including the passage of time and her "wrongful conduct".
Much of the submission consists of repetitive responses either denying Ms Giuffre's claims or stating that Prince Andrew "lacks sufficient information to admit or deny". Among the assertions he said he could not address were that he had been photographed with Ghislaine Maxwell, that Jeffrey Epstein had been convicted, and that he had travelled on Epstein's private jet and stayed at his properties. However, the prince admitted to Epstein's jet and properties in his 2019 Newsnight interview, and Epstein's conviction is a matter of public record.
Nick Goldstone, head of dispute resolution at Ince Gordon Dadds LLP, said it was "ludicrous" for the prince to claim insufficient information on such matters. He described the response as "a boilerplate exercise, rather over-enthusiastically deployed". The papers also deny that Maxwell, whom the prince met at university, was a close friend. Richard Spafford, a partner at Reed Smith, said that denial was likely to be contested, adding that the plaintiff's side would not simply accept it.
Notably absent from the defence are any references to Prince Andrew's earlier claims that he cannot sweat or that he visited a Pizza Express on the day of the alleged encounter. Mr Spafford said it was "interesting" these points had been omitted, suggesting his legal team may not intend to pursue them. He characterised the filing as a "standard approach" with forceful denials, but noted that such tactics are frequently followed by an attempt to settle.
Mark Stephens of Howard Kennedy said the aggressive posture appeared designed to strengthen the prince's negotiating position. With the Queen's platinum jubilee approaching, he did not rule out a speedy settlement, but added that Ms Giuffre's lawyer, David Boies, "holds most of the cards". Mr Boies has said his client would be unlikely to accept a purely financial settlement. Mr Goldstone concluded that a jury trial would be "a complete disaster" for Prince Andrew, describing the defence as a "kitchen sink" exercise that suggests he is not ready for such an ordeal.
