Prince Andrew faces no good choice in Epstein accuser case

LONDON (AP):

Britain’s Prince Andrew is likely to do anything he can to avoid giving evidence in a US lawsuit filed by an American woman who alleges that he sexually assaulted her when she was 17, lawyers on both sides of the Atlantic say.

Andrew may contest the US court’s jurisdiction, or ignore the civil lawsuit altogether, taking a chance the court might find him in default and order him to pay damages.

No matter which way he goes, though, he will face the constant drumbeat of unsavoury media coverage.

“There’s no good option,” said Albert D’Aquino, a New York attorney who has defended clients in similar cases. The prince has repeatedly denied the allegations in the lawsuit, brought by one of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s long-time accusers, Virginia Giuffre.

“I don’t think he will submit to the court’s authority to order him to give a deposition, or to answer questions on which he wishes to demur,” said D’Aquino, a partner at Goldberg Segalla in Buffalo, New York.

“He runs too much risk of self-incrimination, which could then spawn a criminal action against him,” D’Aquino said.

However he decides to respond, the lawsuit filed Monday is another unwanted story for Queen Elizabeth II, reminding people of Andrew’s links to Epstein two years after the convicted sex offender’s death. Britain’s royal family is also still recovering from allegations of racism and insensitivity levelled at them by Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan, earlier this year.

Buckingham Palace tried to move past the story two years ago, forcing Andrew to step away from royal duties after he gave a disastrous TV interview in which he failed to express regret over his relationship with Epstein or offer sympathy for Epstein’s victims.

“It’s another big scandal for them,” said Pauline MacLaran, a royal expert and author of Royal Fever: The British Monarchy in Consumer Culture.