Prince Andrew has filed legal papers to officially deny Virginia Giuffre's sex abuse allegations against him,
The Duke of York has also demanded a jury trial and claimed that Ghislaine Maxwell was not his 'close friend'.
In court documents filed by his legal team today in New York, Prince Andrew lawyers stated that they demand a trial by jury "on all causes of action asserted in the complaint".
His lawyers wrote: “Assuming, without admitting, that Giuffre has suffered any injury or damage, Giuffre and/or others, who are not Prince Andrew, contributed in whole or in part to the alleged damage.”
They continue that her “claims are barred by the doctrine of consent” and are “barred in whole or in part by her own wrongful conduct and the doctrine of unclean hands.”
The Duke of York's response is eleven pages long and states repeatedly that he “lacks sufficient information to admit or deny” most of her allegations.
The Prince refutes Virginia Giuffre's major claim of “sexual abuse” and “rape” when she was “under the age of 18 years old.”
He has admitted to being friends with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein but has denied he was ever close to convicted sex offender Ghislaine Maxwell.
Prince Andrew, 61, said it wasn't true that he was a frequent guest in Epstein’s various homes around the world, including New York City where he allegedly sexually abused Plaintiff (Giuffre) at Epstein and Maxwell’s invitation when she was a minor.
He also “disputes that Giuffre is domiciled in the State of Colorado” and added “on that basis (he) denies the allegations” that she is a citizen of the United States.
The Prince's legal team want Ms Giuffre’s case dismissed as they claim she does not have the right to bring the lawsuit in New York because neither he nor she are residents of the US.
His lawyer, Andrew Brettler tells the court in a move to dismiss the case: “Giuffre’s Complaint should be dismissed because this Court lacks subject matter jurisdiction over the action, due to Giuffre’s improper assertion of diversity jurisdiction notwithstanding that she is a permanent resident of Australia and not a domiciliary of Colorado.”
Referring to the 12 “factual allegations” the legal team of his accuser made in their September filing, Prince Andrew tells the court he “lacks sufficient information to admit or deny the allegations” to all of them.
The “factual allegations” go into detail about Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell’s criminal enterprise and how they both managed to abuse young girls.
The Duke of York's legal team also try to have the case thrown out over a 2009 deal Ms Guiffre signed with Jeffrey Epstein where she said she would not pursue other “potential defendants”.
His lawyer’s wrote: “Giuffre, through her own actions, inactions, and other conduct – including, without limitation, entering into the 2009 Release Agreement with Epstein containing a broad third-party release of her claims against Prince Andrew and others – waived the claims now asserted in the Complaint.”
If the case is not thrown out the papers also state: “Prince Andrew hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the Complaint.
Prince Andrew failed to dismiss the American’s case earlier this month. Giuffre, 38, has sued Andrew by using New York's Child Victims Act (CVA) which allows those abused to sue their attackers.
In 2019, a "look-back window" was introduced by lawmakers which gave victims of decades-old abuse two years to file civil claims by August 14, 2021, even if the statute of limitations had expired.
As a result of Covid, the deadline for claims was later extended by then New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Mum-of-three Ms Giuffre, who lives in western Australia, managed to file the lawsuit on August 9, 2021 - just five days before the window closed.
She has claimed that in 2001, billionaire Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell trafficked her to have sex with the Prince in London when she was 17, a minor in US law.
Ms Giuffre also alleges she was forced to have sex with Andrew at Epstein's home in New York and in the US Virgin Islands.
She is suing Andrew for unspecified damages, which according to US lawyers could "easily" be more than £14 million, if she is successful.
Prince Andrew's response to Ms Guiffre’s claims came as Ghislaine Maxwell’s brother, Ian, verbally attacked Andrew’s accuser.
As he talked about the conviction of his sister, for procuring, grooming and trafficking girls in New York last month, he slammed Virginia alleging she could not be relied on as her testimony changes.
He claimed it was why she wasn’t called to give evidence in his sister’s trial although she was available.
Mr Maxwell said: “Whatever Giuffre is saying, why didn’t the police select her, the most vociferous, the most basic accuser, for Ghislaine’s trial? Giuffre was not selected in the trial, because her testimony, whether she has spoken on to oath in defamation hearings or something, has changed, consistently changed about Prince Andrew, about my sister, and so on.
"Like the allegation about ‘Prince Andrew and her in New Mexico’ in some earlier deposition has vanished.”
He also talked about the now famous photograph of Andrew standing with his arm around Ms Giuffre’s waist taken in March 2001 inside his sister’s London home.
He told Italian newspaper, Repubblica: “It's her home for sure.”
"There's no question about that. But you have to take two views on this. If the picture is genuine, then they have clearly met.
"But no original has ever been produced. It's a photograph that's real. And even if it's a fake, for whatever purposes, what does it prove? It proves they met. Okay.
“It proves they met 25 years ago. Big deal. Does it show her f***ing him? I don't think so.
“Does it show sexual activity? No, it doesn't. So it's probative of nothing. It's suggestive possibly that something could go on to happen or might have happened. We don't know what it is."
