Prince Andrew Will Settle His Sex Abuse Lawsuit & He 'Accepts' That His Accuser 'Suffered'
He's promising to help fight against "the evils of sex trafficking."
Prince Andrew has finally opted for an out-of-court settlement for a civil sexual assault lawsuit against him.
The Queen's son was being sued by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed that he had sexually assaulted her three different times when she was 17, reported the BBC.
According to the letter addressed to the federal judge in charge of the case, the two reached a settlement out of court, but the settlement amount has not been disclosed, reported CNN.
"Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights," the letter said. "Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre's character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks."
Giuffre's lawyer confirmed that his client and Prince Andrew would be requesting a dismissal of the lawsuit from the federal judge within 30 days because of the settlement.
Giuffre sued the Duke of York back in August, and since then, the prince has been trying to get rid of the lawsuit while denying that he ever assaulted her, reported the Associated Press.
Andrew’s lawyers had previously accused Giuffre of trying to profit off of him with her lawsuit.
He also claimed as part of his defence that he cannot sweat due to a war injury — a claim that won’t be tested in court because of the settlement.
Prince Andrew has been linked to the notorious Jeffery Epstein for sex trafficking and assault cases, which is where this lawsuit stemmed from.
The letter was accompanied by a statement from the prince's representative, which stated his regret of being associated with Epstein.
Interestingly enough, he only said he regretted being associated with Epstein and not the actual allegations of sexual assault.
There was no apology in the statement.
"It is known that Jeffrey Epstein trafficked countless young girls over many years. Prince Andrew regrets his association with Epstein and commends the bravery of Ms. Giuffre and other survivors in standing up for themselves and others," said the statement.
"He pledges to demonstrate his regret for his association with Epstein by supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims."
The decision comes weeks after the Queen stripped the Duke of York of his military titles and royal patronages.