Alleged Epstein Victim Virginia Giuffre Files Lawsuit Accusing Prince Andrew of Sexually Abusing Her When She Was Underage

Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of the many alleged victims of child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, has filed a federal lawsuit in New York accusing Britain’s Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her on multiple occasions when she was still underage.

Epstein died in federal prison in 2019 while he was facing charges of child sex trafficking. He was already a convicted sex offender from a prior state criminal case in Florida in which he was able to obtain a controversial plea deal for a very light sentence considering the number of underage victims identified by investigators.

Giuffre’s complaint, as ABC News noted, was filed almost two years after Epstein was found dead in his jail cell and just a few days before the deadline set by a New York State law that permits those who allege they are victims of childhood sexual abuse to file civil claims.

“If she doesn’t do it now, she would be allowing [Prince Andrew] to escape any accountability for his actions,” David Boies, Giuffre’s attorney, said. “And Virginia is committed to trying to avoid situations where rich and powerful people escape any accountability for their actions.”

“I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me,” Giuffre said in a statement her attorneys released to the media. “The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions. I hope that other victims will see that it is possible not to live in silence and fear, but one can reclaim her life by speaking out and demanding justice.”

“I did not come to this decision lightly,” her statement continued. “As a mother and a wife, my family comes first. I know that this action will subject me to further attacks by Prince Andrew and his surrogates. But I knew that if I did not pursue this action, I would be letting them and victims everywhere down.”

A spokesperson for Prince Andrew told ABC News that there would be no comment on the lawsuit. He has previously denied not only the allegations that he sexually abused Giuffre, but also denied having any memory of ever meeting her at all.

A now-viral photograph of the prince with his arm around the then-17-year-old Giuffre was allegedly taken by Epstein in the London home of Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate who is also facing child sex trafficking charges. In a 2019 interview with the BBC, Prince Andrew denied the allegations and suggested that photo may have been doctored. The public response to the interview was highly critical, and shortly thereafter he announced he was stepping back from royal duties.