Speculation of a potential Prince Andrew trial mounts as it's claimed that he's received the papers for Virginia Roberts Giuffre's sexual assault lawsuit. The news comes as a virtual hearing in New York City is set for Monday September 13, 2021.
- Prince Andrew firmly denies any of the allegations made against him by Virginia Giuffre.
- There's a dispute over whether the Duke of York received papers or not.
- In other royal news, Prince Andrew memorabilia is now 'unsellable at any price' in the wake of the Epstein scandal, say auctioneers.
The hearing is regarding the accusation of sexual assault made by Virginia, against Prince Andrew. Prince Andrew denies all of the claims made against him.
Virginia's legal team asserts that the Prince, who's currently in Balmoral, has been successfully served with legal papers. However, the BBC reports that Duke of York's legal team disputes these claims.
When asked whether he had received the papers the BBC reports that a spokeswoman for the Prince said, "No comment."
According to court documents from Virginia's lawyers, the affidavit must be answered by the Prince by September 17. The documents state, "if you fail to respond, judgment by default will be entered against you for the relief demanded in the complaint."
Today, a US judge is set to determine whether the papers have in fact been "served" before any potential case can begin. This hearing is enormously important as it will consider what the next stages of the case will or won't be.
It's unclear whether the Prince and/or his legal team will attend the online hearing at all.
The reason the argument over whether he received the papers or not is so vital is that in a civil lawsuit, like the allegations of sexual abuse filed against Prince Andrew in August 2021, legal papers have to be served to the accused party for any case to go ahead.
Virginia's claims against the Duke of York, which he has consistently denied, were filed under the Child Victims Act in a New York court on August 9, 2021.
A statement from the accusor read, "As the suit lays out in detail, I was trafficked to him and sexually abused by him. I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and 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 to reclaim one's life by speaking out and demanding justice."
The Duke was spotted at Balmoral with the Queen hours after the lawsuit was filed.
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