Prince Andrew, the son of Queen Elizabeth II, may face a civilian trial in the United States of America (USA) in late 2022 on charges of sexual assault, US District Judge Lewis Kaplan said.
Speaking during a conference call with lawyers in New York, Lewis Kaplan said he expects a trial “sometime in September or December next year.”
A possible trial comes after Prince Andrew’s attorneys attacked his prosecutor, Virginia Giuffre, during a weekend trial, accusing her of seeking a “paycheck” at his expense.
Giuffre’s civil lawsuit alleges that she was forced to have sex with Andrew when she was 17 years old. The prince denies all charges.
Giuffre, 38, filed a lawsuit against André last August and accused the prince of sexually assaulting the London home of socialite Ghislaine Maxwell and property belonging to financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sexual assault. Andre was not charged with any crime and categorically denied the charges.
“Giuffre initiated this unfounded lawsuit against Prince Andre in order to get another salary at his own expense and at the expense of his loved ones,” Brettler, Andre’s lawyer, said during his trial last Friday.
Maxwell is on trial in Manhattan on November 29 on charges of assisting in the recruitment and preparation of three underage girls for abuse by Epstein, and of trafficking a 14-year-old girl for sexual exploitation. The socialite pleaded not guilty to eight criminal charges and has been in custody in Brooklyn since July 2020.
