Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s 2009 settlement with Jeffrey Epstein released
By Sonia Moghe, CNN
A 2009 settlement agreement between sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and Virginia Roberts Giuffre — the woman who accused him of sexual abuse and of trafficking her to Prince Andrew, among others — was unsealed Monday.
It shows that Epstein paid Giuffre $500,000 to drop the case without any admission of liability or fault.
The document was unsealed as part of Giuffre’s separate lawsuit against Prince Andrew. She alleges that Epstein trafficked her and forced her to have sex with his friends — including the prince — and that Andrew was aware she was underage (17) in the US. Prince Andrew has denied the allegations.
Attorneys for Andrew argued in his motion to dismiss Giuffre’s case against him in October that her lawsuit violates the terms of the settlement agreement with Epstein, where she agreed to a “general release” of claims against Epstein and others.
In the copy unsealed Monday, Andrew’s name does not explicitly appear as a party. The agreement says it serves to “remise, release, acquit, satisfy and forever discharge” parties and “any other person or entity who could have been included as a potential defendant” but does not explicitly name any others in the document viewed by CNN.
Two other documents were filed along with the settlement agreement including a “Stipulation of Dismissal” and a complaint from Epstein — both of which are still under seal.
The agreement states that it is a “final resolution” of a disputed claim and is intended to avoid litigation but “shall not be construed to be an admission of liability or fault by any party.” The agreement states that it is not to be used in civil or criminal proceedings against Epstein. It was signed by Giuffre and Epstein on different dates in November 2009.
Oral arguments in the civil suit against Andrew are set for Tuesday. If his lawyers are unsuccessful, or the case is not settled, the royal could face a trial date between September and December 2022. The long-running allegations facing Andrew have already dramatically tarnished his public standing, and he stepped back from royal duties in late 2019.
Epstein, who pleaded guilty in 2008 to state prostitution charges, was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges in July 2019 and died by suicide in prison a month later.
Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s confidante and former girlfriend, was arrested a year afterward and accused of facilitating Epstein’s abuse scheme. A jury convicted her last week on five federal counts, including sex trafficking a minor and conspiracy.
Giuffre was not one of the four women who testified in the trial that they had been abused.
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