NEW YORK, NY – Prince Andrew, Duke of York, is being soundly condemned by the UK press after he settled a lawsuit that alleged he had sexually abused a 17 year-old girl supplied to him by sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein by agreeing to donate millions to his accuser’s charity and publicly stating that he never had any intention of disparaging her personally.
Prince Andrew, 61, will reportedly donate £12 million – which comes to over $16 million – to accuser Virginia Giuffre’s charity, using money from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II.
In addition, the British royal has also acknowledged that Giuffre, now 38, had indeed suffered legitimate sexual abuse, although he was not required to make any legal admission of guilt in relation to the allegations that he assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17.
In the settlement, Andrew stated that he had “never intended to malign Ms Giuffre’s character” and that he recognized she had “suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks.”
He also said that he wished to “demonstrate his regret for his association” with Jeffrey Epstein by supporting the “fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims” and lauded the “bravery of Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others.”
It has not been confirmed if Giuffre would personally receive any of the settlement funds, or if they were completely going to her charity, Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR), whose website says is “dedicated to providing a safe and empowering space for survivors of sex trafficking to reclaim their stories and stand up for themselves and each other.”
Andrew had previously declared his intention to fight to clear his name in court; however, as a result of the settlement, there will no longer be a civil trial during which he would have to give evidence under oath or in front of a jury.
Nonetheless, Andrew was hammered relentlessly by the press in his native UK, with The Sun calling the settlement “His Final Disgrace” and The Daily Mail’s headline reading “Duke’s Final ‘£12 Million’ Humiliation.” Also, Royal author Omid Scobie tweeted that the outcome of the case has re-opened serious questions into the role money, power, and class privilege play when it comes to accountability for alleged misdeeds.
“In the end, Andrew took accountability for nothing,” Scobie said. “Instead, he did what only the privileged elite get to do: bought his way out. In the process, he took advantage of his elderly mother’s love (and cheque book) during a year her children should only be lifting her up. A disgrace.”
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