Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Roberts ‘set to give victim impact statement’ at Ghislaine Maxwell’s sentencing
PRINCE Andrew's sex assault accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre is set to give a victim impact statement at Ghislaine Maxwell's sentencing, it is reported.
The duke now faces being drawn into the case after Maxwell was last week found guilty of sex trafficking and grooming girls for convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to abuse.
A number of accusers did not give evidence at Maxwell's trial in New York, but the women will be given the opportunity to make a plea to Judge Alison Nathan, the reports.
One of the women is said to be Virginia, 38, who claims she was forced to have sex with Prince Andrew three times when she was teenager - in London, New York and on Jeffrey Epstein’s private Caribbean island.
Andrew, 61, has always strongly denied all allegations made against him.
Victim impact statements are testimonies presented to the court which outline the impact of the offender's actions on the person and their life.
Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer for Virginia, told the Telegraph: "At the sentencing, I anticipate that there will be a lot of testimony from many, many other women who were not able to be heard at the trial, who will come forward and bring information about their suffering at the hands of Ghislaine Maxwell.
"I believe this will be considered by the court before Judge Nathan renders her decision on the length of time Ghislaine will serve behind bars."
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It comes as another lawyer for Virginia claimed they have six witnesses who will say Andrew and Virginia met — as they labelled Maxwell’s conviction “ominous” for the royal.
David Boies urged Andrew to “take responsibility” for his alleged actions as he outlined what Maxwell’s guilt may mean for Virginia's sex assault lawsuit against him.
US District Judge Lewis Kaplan, sitting in New York, will decide on Tuesday if Virginia's civil claim for unspecified damages against the Duke of York can proceed to trial.
Her lawyers made eight “discovery requests” of the duke in readiness for a possible longer hearing including proof for his Newsnight claim that he cannot sweat.
Virginia said in a 2019 interview that the prince was “sweating all over me” at a club on a night she alleges they had sex.
She claims she was trafficked to the duke in 2001 at age 17 and abused.
The duke denies any sexual activity with her and said on BBC’s Newsnight that he could not recall meeting her.
But Mr Boies said several witnesses were willing to say the duke and Epstein abuse survivor Virginia had met.
He said: “We have four or five or six witnesses who will place them together."
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Maxwell faces up to 65 years’ jail after being convicted of five counts of grooming girls for ex-lover Epstein’s child sex trafficking ring.
Convicted sex offender Epstein, 66, was found hanged in jail while awaiting trial.
One count was based on Virginia's testimony that she was recruited and groomed by Maxwell.
Mr Boies said: “The vindication of a jury verdict was everything Virginia hoped and worked for.
“It’s almost eight years from the time she walked into my office and said she wanted to bring Epstein and Maxwell to justice. It was an extraordinarily difficult road.”
It's reported Andrew's lawyers were locked in emergency talks following Maxwell's guilty verdict amid fears his pal could "name names" in a bid to cut her lengthy prison sentence.
Royal sources claim Andrew wants to protect the Queen by avoiding a court case from Virginia as he fears it will damage the monarchy.
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The prince was also dealt another blow after a judge has denied his bid for the sex assault lawsuit to be thrown out because Virginia "lives in Australia".