An attorney for Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who filed a lawsuit accusing Britain's Prince Andrew of sexually assaulting her while she was underage and under the control of Jeffrey Epstein, has filed a letter with the court saying Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached a settlement.
Giuffre, an American, has accused the British royal of sexually abusing her when she was 17 while she traveled with Epstein, the now-deceased financier and accused sex criminal.
Following this latest development, the parties will have 30 days to file a stipulation and dismiss the case.
In a letter to United States District Court for the Southern District of New York Judge Lewis Kaplan, Giuffre's lawyer, David Boies, shared the anticipated stipulation and agreement, which includes a settlement, although the sum was not disclosed, and Prince Andrew making a donation to a charity in support of victim's right.
“Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms. Giuffre’s receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed)," according to the agreement. "Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights."
The agreement goes on to say: "Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks. It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein, and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others. He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.”
Last month, Prince Andrew asked a jury to decide a lawsuit by a sexual assault accuser if he can't get the case dismissed altogether. The request from Andrew's lawyers was inside a line-by-line formal response to the lawsuit Giuffre filed against him in August in Manhattan federal court.
Andrew has strenuously denied Giuffre’s allegations, and attempted to get the lawsuit tossed. Earlier last month, Judge Kaplan rejected his attempt to win an early dismissal, allowing depositions and other evidence gathering by both parties to move forward.
Following the announcement of the settlement Tuesday, Buckingham Palace told NBC News that, "It is a matter for the Duke and his legal team.” This settlement should avoid further embarrassment for the monarchy.
Epstein died by suicide while awaiting trial in prison. As for his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, earlier this year, a jury found her guilt in her sex trafficking case. She will be sentenced in lower Manhattan in June, but is expected to appeal her conviction.
