By Luc Cohen

NEW YORK (Reuters), Britain’s Prince Andrew requested Wednesday a U.S. Jury Trial. This was in response to Virginia Giuffre’s claims that he sexually abused Giuffre over two decades ago, when Giuffre was 17.

Giuffre (38) sued Jeffrey Epstein last August for battering her and trafficking her.

Andrew, aged 61, filed a U.S. District Court Manhattan filing admitting to having met Epstein around 1999. Giuffre claimed that he had “committed sexual abuse and battery on her”.

Giuffre’s lawyer David Boies stated in a statement, that Andrew tried to blame the victim.

Boies declared, “We are looking forward to confronting Prince Andrew’s denials as well his attempts to blame Ms. Giuffre”

Andrew was a close friend of Epstein and committed suicide while in Manhattan’s jail cells in 2019. He was awaiting his trial for sexual abuse. This has hampered Andrew’s reputation among the public as well as his status in Britain’s Royal Family.

The family had removed Andrew’s military affiliations and military patronages earlier in the month and stated that the second child of Queen Elizabeth wouldn’t be called “His Royal Highness”.

Andrew filed an “answer,” which is a document that defendants use to deny or claim they don’t have enough information in order to respond on the plaintiffs’ substantive allegations.

Giuffre was previously accused of asking for another payday by her lawyers, who had called Giuffre’s suit “baseless”.

Giuffre was awarded $500,000 as part of a civil settlement reached with Epstein in 2009.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan stated that a trial might begin in September or December 2022.

Andrew may owe Giuffre damages if Giuffre wins at trial. The amount she has requested is unspecified.

Andrew is not being criminally charged and Giuffre can’t bring any criminal charges in the civil case.

Andrew had earlier requested that Kaplan dismiss Giuffre’s suit. The prince claimed that he was protected under the Epstein agreement of 2009.

Andrew confirmed that argument with Wednesday’s filing. Giuffre, however, was also informed by Andrew that Giuffre has no legal standing for a lawsuit because Giuffre lives in Australia.