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A settlement has been reached between Prince Andrew and Virginia Juffe, who had accused him of sexual abuse when she was a teenager and was victimized by pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, according to a Manhattan court filing.
The settlement amount that Prince Andrew will pay to Jufre is confidential, the parties said in a joint statement attached to the filing.
Queen Elizabeth's son "also intends to make a significant donation" to a charity to support victims' rights, the joint statement said.
The agreement comes just weeks before Andrew is due to begin sworn questioning by Jufre's lawyers. He did not admit to any of the charges against him in the statement announcing the settlement.
The allegations caused friction at Buckingham
Jufre's lawsuit had caused friction at Buckingham Palace. Prince Andrew was forced to give up his military and royal titles, and could no longer use the title "His Royal Highness" or hold any public office.
Victoria Jufre claimed that Prince Andrew, Duke of York, sexually abused her when she was under 18 at his Epstein mansion in Manhattan, as well as on his private island in the US Virgin Islands. She also alleged that Andrew, Epstein and Gislaine Maxwell forced her to have sexual relations at the latter's home in London. She claims that she had feared repercussions if she disobeyed the three, as they had "powerful connections, wealth and authority".
"I regret my relationship with Epstein"
In the statement Prince Andrew said that "it was known that Geoffrey Epstein trafficked young girls for for many years" and that he "regrets his association with Epstein and commends the bravery of Mrs Jufre and other victims in defending themselves and others". The statement contrasts with the way Andrew's lawyers described it in October when they asked for the lawsuit to be withdrawn.
Also in the statement, Andrew claimed that he never intended "to malign Ms. Jufre's character and accepts that she suffered as a victim of abuse as well as a victim of unjust attacks."
The settlement came six months after Jufre filed the lawsuit and a month after the judge denied Prince Andrew's motion to dismiss it.
Source: Proto Thema
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