Buckingham Palace has issued a second denial that Prince Andrew had
sexual contact with a woman who claims she was forced to have under-age
sex with him, branding the allegations "false and without any
foundation". It comes after two British Sunday newspapers
published details of interviews with the woman who named the Prince in
United States court documents related to a convicted paedophile. The
palace initially stated "any suggestion of impropriety with under-age
minors" by the Duke of York was "categorically untrue".
And in a second strongly worded statement, a spokesman said: "It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with [the woman]. The allegations made are false and without any foundation."
Prince Andrew is accused of trying to secure leniency for a paedophile. Photo / AP
Lawyers have asked the US Government to hand over any letters or documents relating to the claims of the woman - and another- that the Prince, now 54, was among those who lobbied its Justice Department on behalf of billionaire financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Buckingham Palace said it was categorically untrue that the Prince had tried to influence US prosecutors.
Lawyers acting for the Prince have privately alleged that his accuser - known in court documents as Jane Doe 3 - has embarked on a "fishing expedition" in attempting to ensnare him in an under-age sex scandal.
The Sunday Telegraph reported it had examined the 13-page motion submitted in the Florida courts.
It is understood the lawyers view the claim of lobbying as "a speculative fishing expedition". They are understood to believe the woman's lawyers do not have proof that lobbying was conducted by the Prince, but want to see if any paperwork that supports such a claim actually exists.
Attempts to shore up the Prince's reputation were helped by an interview given by Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard law professor and criminal defence lawyer who represented Epstein.
Professor Dershowitz has also been accused by Jane Doe 3 - named by the Mail on Sunday as Virginia Roberts, who spent 11 years in Sydney before returning to the US a year ago - of having "sexual relations" with her "on numerous occasions while she was a minor, not only in Florida but also on private planes, in New York, New Mexico, and the US Virgin Islands".
Professor Dershowitz told BBC Radio the claims against him are false. He said: "My only feeling is if she's lied about me, which I know to an absolute certainty she has, she should not be believed about anyone else. We know she's lied about other public figures including a former prime minister and others who she claims to have participated in sexual activities with, so I think it must be presumed all her allegations against Prince Andrew were false as well."
Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of Robert Maxwell, yesterday also denied allegations that she had acted as a "madame for Epstein" and "facilitated Prince Andrew's acts of sexual abuse". Her spokesman said: "The allegations made against Ghislaine Maxwell are untrue.
"Miss Maxwell strongly denies allegations of an unsavoury nature which have appeared in the British press and elsewhere and reserves her right to seek redress at the repetition of such old defamatory claims."
In a statement to the Guardian, the alleged victim responded to the denials. "These types of aggressive attacks on me are exactly the reason why sexual abuse victims typically remain silent. I'm not going to be bullied back into silence."
The case lodged in Florida centres on the deal that saw Epstein spend just 13 months in jail for having sex with a 14-year-old. He had been investigated for paying under-age girls to have sex with him at his luxury Palm Beach home - 40 women had come forward as victims. However, he cut a deal with federal prosecutors and the charges were not pursued.
Epstein pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution and procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution. The Palm Beach police force was furious at what it saw as lenient treatment of Epstein.
-Observer, Telegraph Group
And in a second strongly worded statement, a spokesman said: "It is emphatically denied that the Duke of York had any form of sexual contact or relationship with [the woman]. The allegations made are false and without any foundation."
Lawyers have asked the US Government to hand over any letters or documents relating to the claims of the woman - and another- that the Prince, now 54, was among those who lobbied its Justice Department on behalf of billionaire financier and convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.
Lawyers acting for the Prince have privately alleged that his accuser - known in court documents as Jane Doe 3 - has embarked on a "fishing expedition" in attempting to ensnare him in an under-age sex scandal.
The Sunday Telegraph reported it had examined the 13-page motion submitted in the Florida courts.
It is understood the lawyers view the claim of lobbying as "a speculative fishing expedition". They are understood to believe the woman's lawyers do not have proof that lobbying was conducted by the Prince, but want to see if any paperwork that supports such a claim actually exists.
Attempts to shore up the Prince's reputation were helped by an interview given by Alan Dershowitz, the Harvard law professor and criminal defence lawyer who represented Epstein.
Professor Dershowitz has also been accused by Jane Doe 3 - named by the Mail on Sunday as Virginia Roberts, who spent 11 years in Sydney before returning to the US a year ago - of having "sexual relations" with her "on numerous occasions while she was a minor, not only in Florida but also on private planes, in New York, New Mexico, and the US Virgin Islands".
Professor Dershowitz told BBC Radio the claims against him are false. He said: "My only feeling is if she's lied about me, which I know to an absolute certainty she has, she should not be believed about anyone else. We know she's lied about other public figures including a former prime minister and others who she claims to have participated in sexual activities with, so I think it must be presumed all her allegations against Prince Andrew were false as well."
Ghislaine Maxwell, the daughter of Robert Maxwell, yesterday also denied allegations that she had acted as a "madame for Epstein" and "facilitated Prince Andrew's acts of sexual abuse". Her spokesman said: "The allegations made against Ghislaine Maxwell are untrue.
"Miss Maxwell strongly denies allegations of an unsavoury nature which have appeared in the British press and elsewhere and reserves her right to seek redress at the repetition of such old defamatory claims."
In a statement to the Guardian, the alleged victim responded to the denials. "These types of aggressive attacks on me are exactly the reason why sexual abuse victims typically remain silent. I'm not going to be bullied back into silence."
The case lodged in Florida centres on the deal that saw Epstein spend just 13 months in jail for having sex with a 14-year-old. He had been investigated for paying under-age girls to have sex with him at his luxury Palm Beach home - 40 women had come forward as victims. However, he cut a deal with federal prosecutors and the charges were not pursued.
Epstein pleaded guilty to solicitation of prostitution and procuring a person under the age of 18 for prostitution. The Palm Beach police force was furious at what it saw as lenient treatment of Epstein.
-Observer, Telegraph Group
