[ad_1]
Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre wants to depose two UK residents in her sex abuse suit, including His Royal Lowness’ former assistant who may have “relevant information” about the relationship with pedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
In a Friday court filing, Giuffre’s attorneys requested British authorities allow them to depose the assistant, Robert Olney, along with a person named Shukri Walker, who claims to have seen Prince Andrew with a young girl at a nightclub in London around the time Giuffre claims she was abused by him.
The filing does not request depositions from anyone in the royal family or Andrew himself. A spokesperson for Giuffre’s attorneys did not immediately respond when asked if they minted to depose other UK residents in the suit.
Olney is listed in Epstein’s infamous “black book,” leading Giuffre’s attorneys to believe he may have known Giuffre during his employment with Andrew.
Andrew, 61, has claimed he does not recall ever meeting Giuffre.
On Thursday, Queen Elizabeth stripped the prince of his military and royal titles as news that the suit would move forward made waves in the UK.
“With The Queen’s approval and agreement, The Duke of York’s military affiliations and Royal patronages have been returned to The Queen,” Buckingham Palace said of the 61-year-old prince.
In a proposed letter that explains what they’re seeking from a deposition with Olney, Giuffre’s attorneys wrote: “any communications with or regarding Plaintiff, as Defendant claims he has never met Plaintiff and never sexually abused her.”
The legal team is seeking testimony from Walker because she has claimed she saw Andrew inside of Tramp Nightclub with a young woman around the same time Giuffre claims she was abused by the royal after visiting the nightspot.
“Because Prince Andrew has denied ever meeting Plaintiff or being at Tramp Nightclub during the relevant time period, Ms. Walker’s testimony is highly relevant,” attorney Sigrid McCawley wrote.
Giuffre claims in the suit that Andrew sexually abused her three times when she was a teen and had fallen under the thumb of Epstein and his convicted cohort, Ghislaine Maxwell.
The prince had sex with her in London, New York and on Epstein’s private Carribean island, the suit alleges. Andrew has repeatedly denied the allegations.
The proposed depositions are the latest development in the bombshell civil lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York.
Earlier this week, Judge Lewis Kaplan ruled the suit could move forward after Andrew’s attorneys had requested it be dismissed on a number of grounds.
In a hearing earlier this month, Andrew’s attorney argued a settlement agreement inked between Giuffre and Epstein in 2009 barred her from bringing a suit against him.
The settlement agreement barred legal action against “other potential defendants” – but the language was far too vague and ambiguous to dismiss the case, the judge ruled.
[ad_2]