Virginia Giuffre’s Fight for Justice: The Prince Andrew and Epstein Scandal Unfolds

Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein have been at the centre of one of the most high-profile legal and social scandals of recent years. Giuffre, who says she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has repeatedly accused Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. 

Virginia Giuffre, formerly known as Virginia Roberts, alleges that Epstein, with the help of his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, “lent her out for sexual purposes” to powerful men, including Prince Andrew.

She claims she was sexually abused by Prince Andrew at Maxwell’s London home, Epstein’s New York mansion, and Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands when she was under 18. Giuffre has stated that she was compelled by threats from Epstein, Maxwelland Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts, and that she feared for her safety if she disobeyed them. 

In August 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew in New York, seeking unspecified damages under the state’s Child Victims Act. 

The lawsuit accused Andrew of battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, stating that his actions caused her significant and ongoing psychological harm. The suit described Prince Andrew’s conduct as “extreme and outrageous,” arguing that his wealth and power enabled him to abuse a vulnerable child. 

Prince Andrew has consistently denied all allegations. In response to Guiffre’s lawsuit, his legal team demanded a jury trial and asserted that Guiffre’s “own wrongful conduct” would be central to his defence.

Andrew’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, laid out more than ten affirmative defences, including the claim that Giuffre acted unethically, a legal argument known as the “doctrine of unclean hands.”  Andrew also denied being close friends with Ghislaine Maxwell, who was later convicted on multiple counts of trafficking young girls for Epstein. 

Despite public promises of cooperation, U.S. prosecutors stated in 2020 that Prince Andrew had provided “zero cooperation” in their investigation into Epstein’s network, despite repeated requests for an interview. 

Recently released court documents revealed that Giuffre claimed Epstein paid her $15,000 to have sex with Prince Andrew. She also alleged that she and Andrew visited the Tramp nightclub in London together before one of the alleged incidents.  Epstein, in his deposition, refused to answer questions about whether he had blackmailed Andrew after the alleged encounter. 

The legal battle has been marked by public statements from both sides. Giuffre’s attorneys have accused Andrew of “victim blaming and emphasised their determination to confront him in court. A trial was expected to take place in New York, though the case has seen various legal manoeuvres and delays. 

Meanwhile, in March 2025, Giuffre was hospitalised in Australia following a serious car crash, later posting on social media that she was facing kidney failure and had been given old days to live. This added further confusion and concern to an already complex and highly publicised story.