Duchess of York could be called to give evidence in sex assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew after Virginia Roberts’ lawyer formally requested two British witnesses
- Sarah, Duchess of York could be called as witness in Prince Andrew lawsuit
- David Boies, who represents Virginia Roberts, spoke of calling two UK witnesses
- Ms Roberts alleges that she was forced to have sex with Andrew three times
- The Duke of York, 61, has always vehemently denied the claims against him
The Duchess of York could be called as a witness in the sex assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew, it has been reported.
Lawyer David Boies, who represents the Duke of York’s accuser Virginia Roberts, has spoken of his intentions to formally speak with two British witnesses to a New York judge.
The move, which comes after lawyers for Ms Roberts said they would request for Prince Andrew to give testimony under oath, has sparked speculation that the royal’s former wife Sarah, Duchess of York, could be subpoenaed, The Telegraph reports.
It comes after Sigrid McCawley, another lawyer for Ms Roberts, suggested that one of the people who could be asked for a deposition was Andrew’s ex-wife.
The Duke of York, 61, is facing a civil lawsuit in the US after Ms Roberts filed the lawsuit in August alleging that she was forced to have sex with him three times under orders from the paedophile Jeffrey Epstein in 2001 when she was 17.
Prince Andrew has always vehemently denied the claims and his legal team is seeking to get the US case thrown out.
The Duchess of York could be called as a witness in the sex assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew after David Boies, who represents the Duke of York’s accuser Virginia Roberts, spoke of his intentions to formally call two British witnesses
In her civil lawsuit, Ms Roberts also claims she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew at Jeffrey Epstein’s mansion in New York and on Little St James, his private island in the Caribbean.
She alleges she was ‘trafficked’ to London in March 2001, where she was photographed next to Andrew in Maxwell’s house.
Andrew has insisted he has ‘no recollection’ of meeting Miss Roberts and has repeatedly denied her account of events.
He told a 2019 Newsnight interview he was at a Pizza Express restaurant in Woking, Surrey, on the day they supposedly went dancing and had sex.
Ms Roberts has also alleged she has suffered ‘significant emotional and psychological distress and harm’ because of her alleged abuse and is claiming damages which could run into millions of pounds if her case succeeds.
In her lawsuit, she claimed Andrew knew she was a victim of sex trafficking by Epstein, and also knew she was a minor under US law.
The lawsuit alleged she was ‘compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, Maxwell and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew, and feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth, and authority.’
Ghislaine Maxwell is also facing a criminal trial accused of procuring and trafficking underage girls for Epstein. She denies the allegations.
This week it was revealed that lawyers for Prince Andrew’s accuser will seek a deposition from him as part of her sex assault lawsuit against him.
This month Sigrid McCawley, another lawyer for Ms Roberts, suggested that one of the people who could be asked for a deposition was Andrew’s ex-wife Sarah Ferguson
The Duke of York, 61, is facing a civil lawsuit in the US after Ms Roberts filed the lawsuit in August alleging that she was forced to have sex with him three times
Ms Roberts alleges she was ‘trafficked’ to London in March 2001, where she was photographed next to Andrew in Maxwell’s house
The legal team for Virginia Roberts will request for the Duke of York to give testimony under oath and could do so ‘relatively promptly’.
Ms Roberts’ lawyer David Boies said that he would seek to depose between eight and 12 people while the Duke’s lawyers wanted to question a similar number.
During a 10-minute hearing before a federal court in New York, Mr Boies said that the case was ‘moving along’ after delays caused by the Duke refusing to accept service of the legal paperwork.
The judge set a tentative trial date of next September or October meaning that it will cast a shadow over The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, which will take place in June 2022 marking 70 years since she acceded to the British throne.
The hearing came days after Andrew filed his response to Ms Roberts’ lawsuit claiming she accused him for ‘another payday at his expense’.
During the hearing Mr Boies said that his list of 8-12 witnesses included people he ‘can’t identify right now because I’m not sure who we will be able to get, and that investigation is ongoing’.
He said: ‘We’d be prepared to start some of the depositions relatively promptly, some (targets) will not be identified for another two months’.
The Duke’s lawyer Andrew Brettler said that he would be seeking a similar number of depositions.
Judge Lewis Kaplan asked if either side anticipated needing letters rogatory, or a formal request from him to the British legal authorities to get somebody to sit for a deposition.
Convicted paedophile Epstein, 66, was found dead in his prison cell while awaiting trial on trafficking charges in 2019
Mr Boies said: ‘There are two people in the United Kingdom where it might be necessary for letters rogatory. We may be able to get them to appear voluntary. We ought to know that within the next 2-3 weeks.’
Mr Brettler said he was ‘not ruling out the possibility’ of making a similar request of the judge.
In an interview earlier this month Sigrid McCawley, another lawyer for Mrs Giuffre, suggested that one of the people who could be asked for a deposition is Andrew’s ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson.
Judge Kaplan said he was ‘looking at the possibility of September, in any case October to December’ for the trial, though he couldn’t set a firm date yet.
The Duke of York stepped back from public life after the disastrous Newsnight interview over his relationship with convicted paedophile Epstein, 66, who was found dead in his prison cell while awaiting trial on trafficking charges in 2019.
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