Brianna Bright
Prince Andrew, Duke of York, age 61, was recently accused and is now being sued by Virginia Roberts Giuffre, for being an active participant in the many reported cases of sexual abuse done by Jeffery Epstein. On Monday, August 9th, 2021, Virginia Roberts Giuffre age 38, an alleged victim of sex offender Epstein, had filed a civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew in New York, stating that she was sex-trafficked by Epstein and made to engage in underage intercourse with several of his friends, one of them being Prince Andrew (Kottasová, 2021). These accusations of sexual abuse that Virginia Giuffre had to endure from Prince Andrew have been ongoing since 2019, under the New York Child Victims Act.
Amidst the sexual abuse allegations, the prince has since stepped down from his royal duties in 2019, even though the prince still continues to deny having any recollection of meeting Virginia Giuffre. However, a picture of what appears to be a young Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew, and Jeffery Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, has resurfaced on the internet in the wake of the sexual abuse allegations. Although there is proof of Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre’s meeting, Prince Andrew still continues to deny the sexual abuse allegations. The prince has even gone as far as refusing to cooperate in the lawsuit that was filed against him, choosing to hide out in many of his mother’s estates. Without cooperation from the prince, the sexual abuse case and allegations against him are still ongoing.
After reading several articles about the sexual abuse allegations against Prince Andrew, I cannot help but think that this man may be guilty. The reason I state this is because I believe that if someone wasn’t guilty, then they would do everything in their power, to prove to themselves and the rest of the world that they are innocent. For example, the willingness to comply with the law is a good start at trying to prove yourself innocent, especially with a case this serious. However, Prince Andrew has done the complete opposite and chooses to hide out in his family’s estates all the while still claiming that he is innocent.
Personally, I cannot stress enough how guilty such a simple act as hiding away can make anyone think that this person is guilty of a crime. I would also like to point out the relationship between Prince Andrew and Jefferey Epstein. Back in 2019, from an interview done by BBC news with the prince, Prince Andrew had claimed in the interview that he and Epstein “weren’t that close.” However, there have been several reported occasions in which the two had attended dinner parties, birthday parties, and paid vacations with one another. It is to be noted that Prince Andrew was introduced to Jeffery Epstein by, Epstein’s ex-girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was also in attendance of meetings with the two. It is also to be noted that, during one of the many invites Prince Andrew had received from Maxell and Epstein, that he had engaged in sexual acts with Virginia Giuffre who was 17 years old at the time.
Lastly, I believe that Prince Andrew is guilty of engaging in sexual abuse against a minor because of the proof of the resurfaced picture of Prince Andrew with his arms around a young Giuffre. The picture is also to be photographed by Jefferey Epstein, himself. Two men, who had seen the original picture had claimed that the photograph is genuine, although friends of the prince have stated that the picture is fabricated, claiming that Andrew’s fingers are “much chubbier” in person (Osborne, 2019). However, Virginia Giuffre claims that the photo is indeed real and that the original is with the FBI, adding that: “ There’s a date on the back of it from when it was printed.”
In conclusion, from reading the many articles on this specific case, I believe that Prince Andrew is guilty of participating in sexual acts with a minor due to all of the evidence compiled against him and the fact that he is refusing to cooperate with the New York law enforcement about a case that has been ongoing for the past two years. All in all, I hope that Virginia Giuffre gets the justice that she deserves and that eventually Prince Andrew will cooperate will the New York law enforcement so that closure can be given to the victim and so that law enforcement can determine if the prince is guilty of a crime or not.
Osborne, L. (2019, December 7). Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein: What you need to know. The Guardian. Retrieved September 12, 2021, from https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/dec/07/prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-what-you-need-to-know.
Kottasová, I. (2021, August 11). Who is Prince Andrew? The ‘spare heir’ facing a sexual abuse lawsuit. CNN. Retrieved September 12, 2021, from https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/10/uk/prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-intl/index.html.
Other Resources
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/dec/07/prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-what-you-need-to-know
https://www.cnn.com/2021/08/10/uk/prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein-intl/index.html