Virginia Guiffre and Andrew settle out of court

[Suzanne999]

From Metro
Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre have reached a ‘settlement in principle’ in the civil sex claim filed in the US, court documents show

Does this show his guilt? Water down in some way his actions? I’m sure some will say this proves she was only in it for the money. I think she and a lot of underage girls were abused but because of the wealth involved those guilty will never face justice. Can’t understand why I feel sad about this outcome.

Of course he's not guilty! That wasn't his hand and he can't even sweat! No, what he has done is realised just how ghastly the whole sex slave thing is and very generously given his hard earned money to charity. He certainly didn't mean to malign the poor young ladies name. In fact he commended her bravery in standing up to dirty old wealthy and powerful men such as...erm... Some of those in America. Finally, he would like to support vulnerable young ladies by offering them a cuddle on his knee.

As has already been posted this case was virtually assured of being settled.

Also, to reiterate this was always about money. It was a civil case not a criminal one.

I do not say that to suggest money in itself was VG's motivation, but it was the only remedy the court could provide if she won.

PA sealed his fate with the Matlis interview, specifically with claims he could not substantiate (sweating, Pizza Express and not regretting his relationship with Epstein).

He brazenly assumed everyone would believe him and the whole matter would go away, but when faced by VG's lawyers to prove these claims, court documents showed he could not.

At this point he had to rely on legal technicalities (which ultimately failed) or face going court and either change his story or face ridicule for his astonishing assertions and possibly be proven to a be a liar.

Once his teams technical points failed there was nowhere for him to go.

That said the loss of the photograph may have been the catalyst for an agreement to be reached, insofar it weakened VG's case against him perhaps to the point that the money offered in the settlement became palatable to PA.

I'm sure there was a lot of pressure on PA to settle by the RF. The whole saga was a sorry mess and threatened to overshadow the Jubilee and frankly his reputation was toast, win or lose after that disastrous interview.

As for posters upset that VG settled, I think you need to remember that the only way PA could fight this was with personal attacks on her and her actions and we saw the start of this in the court papers.

Whilst I do not blame her for behaviours at a young age whilst being groomed and trafficked there are many members of the public that would have done (just look at some points on this thread).

It wasn't just about PA's reputation anymore, it was hers as well and win or lose she could have come out of it as damaged as him.

As is, she's got a pretty good statement from PA, a donation to her charity (and no, I don't care if she personally benefits from that) and vindication in the sense that there is not a snowballs chance in hell that Randy Andy will resume royal duties or have his reputation restored to him.

He's been stripped of everything he cared about and frankly I think that's a pretty good result.

The reason I hoped it would go to court is that PA would have had to give evidence under oath. He would probably have lied as he did on tv or have felt compelled to tell the truth ( unlikely).
If he lied it would have been quite easy for a charge of perjury to be proved against him. THEN he’d be in a criminal court and face justice.
His advisors and the Palace could not risk PA appearing in court under any circumstances

That said the loss of the photograph may have been the catalyst for an agreement to be reached, insofar it weakened VG's case against him perhaps to the point that the money offered in the settlement became palatable to PA.

The photograph is not lost, that is PA’s team’s spin on it, it is just not in VG’s possession. Aiui it has not been for some time, this is not a new event. So, that is not the catalyst. The catalyst is simply that PA’s lawyers have advised him to settle, as they have run out of road.

@Cindie943811A

The reason I hoped it would go to court is that PA would have had to give evidence under oath. He would probably have lied as he did on tv or have felt compelled to tell the truth ( unlikely). If he lied it would have been quite easy for a charge of perjury to be proved against him. THEN he’d be in a criminal court and face justice. His advisors and the Palace could not risk PA appearing in court under any circumstances

That was never going to happen. A member of the royal family would never have testified and had all the gory details splashed in the world media. His legal team tried to get the case dismissed, hell they tried to avoid him being served, but when they could not, he would only ever have settled.

@Roussette

As I've said before, the photo was 'not in her possession'. It's said it was with the FBI.

According to documents released in the same case, two FBI agents collected 20 original photographs from Giuffre which are understood to include the one of her with Andrew.

They gave her a copy of the images on a CD. Giuffre said in her 2016 deposition it could be in a storage box in Australia.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre claims to have lost original print of the famous photo of her and Prince Andrew, which could further disgraced royal's argument that the image was doctored. The image was taken at Ghislaine Maxwell's London home in March 2001

Giuffre's attorneys are reportedly unaware of the photograph's whereabouts and, according to the Daily Beast, no-one on her legal team has actually ever seen the original image.

The 'critical' piece of evidence is said to have gone missing sometime between 2011 and 2016 when Giuffre emigrated to Australia from Colorado.

Giuffre, speaking of the photo in 2016, said then that it could be in moving boxes at her in-laws' home in Sydney, full of 'nerf guns, kids' toys, photos.'

It's only the Daily Mail saying she's lost the photo because it suits them.

Her lawyers say it's not in her possession. A little different.

And there are reports the FBI has it/had it.

IT WAS A CIVIL CASE. Some people can't wrap their heads around that, as I'm seeing on social media (other than here).

@cherrysthename

IT WAS A CIVIL CASE. Some people can't wrap their heads around that, as I'm seeing on social media (other than here).

What’s your point? That because it was only ever about money, it’s therefore not a bad thing?

Well, it's over now , bar the shouting and a transfer of large amounts of cash. The lawyers will be making big out it all.
I'm sure that they will hope something else happens now to push it out of the spot light even more and he can crawl back to wherever he lives and do sod all.
I just hope that Virginia gets some peace now.

She was 17 and he was 41 !

The Daily mail are saying he has paid 7.5 mil to settle the case.
Only seen the headlines just now.

@TheSnowyOwl

He said he would fight to clear his name and she said she wouldn’t settle as it was the principle. Now they’ve settled. 🤷🏼‍♀️

I’m just hoping this is the last time we need to suffer headlines about Andrew.

Indeed they have both reached an agreement. She was 17 in the photo. Did they have sex? She says yes, he says no. She says she wouldn't settle and has settled for an undisclosed amount. She previously had a settlement from another person. He said he would fight to clear and he has settled and paid her an amount.

He is ruined now and no titles.

Oh yes.....

@TatianaBis

That said the loss of the photograph may have been the catalyst for an agreement to be reached, insofar it weakened VG's case against him perhaps to the point that the money offered in the settlement became palatable to PA.

The photograph is not lost, that is PA’s team’s spin on it, it is just not in VG’s possession. Aiui it has not been for some time, this is not a new event. So, that is not the catalyst. The catalyst is simply that PA’s lawyers have advised him to settle, as they have run out of road.

I did say "may" have been the catalyst but not having the photo in her possession is an issue.

It's a key piece of evidence and I am surprised if I'm honest that she hasn't kept track of it.

@Roussette

Oh yes.....

Lol.

Settling shows he is guilty. If he wasn't you fight to clear your name

I love how you call a four day visit with a sex offender (when the Consulate offered him accommodation) and a dinner party held in his honour... you call it 'a business meeting'.

apparently to 'cut ties'?

But he did cut ties. He hadn’t seen him in the intervening years since.

As I've said before, the photo was 'not in her possession'. It's said it was with the FBI.

That’s not what I’ve read. She said she previously gave it to the FBI, but her legal team stated she thinks it was lost when she moved to Australia. If she was sure she never got it back from the FBI, she would have said that.

Did he do what he said she did? There are only two people who know for sure. There is a photo of a photo that may or may not show they together for a couple of seconds at a party. Even if he had sex with her it wasn’t illegal in the U.K., where the alleged encounters took place. It’s icky and creepy for an older man to be doing that, but not illegal.

Whatever the truth about this encounter, Guiffre was undoubtedly victimised by Epstein and Maxwell and if this settlement gives her even an ounce of peace then I’m glad she has it. Prince Andrew has been punished because of the case she brought so hopefully that gives her some peace.

Yes Bored. It took him four days and a dinner party in his honour to 'cut ties'. Strange that.

However, your last para is spot on.

Andrew absolutely does not see himself of guilty of anything other than poor judgement in befriending Epstein - if that.

He will be bemoaning his lot in life, having to pay out 7.5m for reputation management, when so many people he considers his peers get away with murder.

He knows he slept with her, and he totally considers that it was a consensual act between consenting adults. He will think the rest (age of consent, trafficking (which he probably didn't know anything about because willful ignorance)) is just legal technicalities, and anyway he knew nothing about them back then. In the same way Trump could look at his daughter as a piece of ass, Andrew looked at his almost-adult daughters, and VG, and saw beguiling, alluring, independent women.

You can almost hear him telling Fergie "it's not even the money, you see. It's my reputation, my name. She's ruined me. I'll never get that back. She just said whatever she wanted, and look at me. It's all gone. It's not right. Women shouldn't be allowed to do this. She's brought this on Mama, the institution - everything. There need to be laws around this".

The comment about her bravery, supporting charities looking after victims of sexual abuse - that's future planning inserted by a paid lawyer or mandarin. It's a possible source of rehabilitation. He's in his 60s. The monarchy is going to undergo huge upheaval in the short term. He's done for.

And he absolutely, 100%, considers himself the REAL victim in all this, guarantee it. Fergie, his daughters, that odious Michael woman, any cronies he has left and whoever is paid to look after him, they'll all be encouraging him, mollifying him. It's only the dregs of his circle that he'll have left now, probably just a handful of 'real' (read: most desperate hangers on) friends. That will all pinch more than selling the chalet.

@TatianaBis

That said the loss of the photograph may have been the catalyst for an agreement to be reached, insofar it weakened VG's case against him perhaps to the point that the money offered in the settlement became palatable to PA.

The photograph is not lost, that is PA’s team’s spin on it, it is just not in VG’s possession. Aiui it has not been for some time, this is not a new event. So, that is not the catalyst. The catalyst is simply that PA’s lawyers have advised him to settle, as they have run out of road.

There are a couple of explanations, the FBI have it or it is in storage from when she moved. Not sure why she wouldn't get it from either place if it is so important.

@londonrach

Settling shows he is guilty. If he wasn't you fight to clear your name

No it doesn't it means you're managing your losses

As much as you can argue why is he paying if innocent why is she settling if hes guilty?

He doesn't have the money to settle so undoubtedly it's Mummy to the rescue. Sickening.

Nicholas Witchell on the BBC News just said 'what charity would want him?' when discussing the chances of Andrew's return to public life. When you've lost Nicholas Witchell...

Did she win the case with Alan Dershowitz? I can't find anything online but it was a big deal a while ago.