Prince Andrew and his legal team are challenging the jurisdiction of the New York court in the sexual abuse case against him, alleging that the plaintiff, Virginia Giuffre, is not a U.S. citizen.
Prince Andrew Hits Back At Virginia To Throw Out Sex Abuse Case
Virginia Giuffre, previously Virginia Roberts, sued the Duke of York for alleged sexual abuse when she was 17. She is seeking unspecified damages from the royal.
She brought the case against Prince Andrew using New York’s Child Victims Act (CVA), allowing victims to sue their attackers until they turn 55 years old. However, the royal's camp alleged that she doesn't qualify for the CVA, Express reported.
Prince Andrew's legal team, led by US-based lawyer Andrew Brettler, filed a motion to dismiss her case Tuesday. They challenged the jurisdiction of the New York court, saying that Giuffre is not a U.S. citizen as she claimed.
Prince Andrew's layers claimed that they "recently discovered evidence" that cast doubt about her claim that she's a resident of Colorado.
Prince Andrew's motion claimed that she and her husband and their three children live in Perth, Australia. Giuffre's family reportedly lived in Australia for all but two of the past 19 years.
So, the royal's camp questioned the New York court's jurisdiction. They believed her complaint is invalid.
Prince Andrew's lawyers ask Judge Lewis Kaplan to stop the proceedings as they investigate Giuffre's residency status.
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Prince Andrew Sexual Assault Accuser Responds To Residency Challenge
Giuffre responded to Prince Andrew's motion and remained unfazed by his recent challenge. She expects that her complaint against the royal will move forward.
"This is just another in a series of tired attempts by Prince Andrew to duck and dodge the legal merits of the case Virginia Giuffre has brought against him. All parties in litigation are subject to discovery, and Prince Andrew is no exception, despite what he may think," her lawyer Sigrid S. McCawley said in a statement to Rolling Stone.
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