No way back for Andrew after abuse case

LONDON • Prince Andrew's decision to settle a claim that he sexually assaulted a teenage girl decades ago may bring an end to his legal difficulties but the damage done to his reputation means he is unlikely to ever play a role in public life again.

The settlement by the 61-year-old Duke of York includes an undisclosed payment to Ms Virginia Giuffre, who accused him of sexually abusing her when she was a teenager. The settlement, revealed on Tuesday in a Manhattan court filing, said he had never intended to malign her character.

It marked a stunning reversal after his lawyers previously accused Ms Giuffre of seeking a payday with a "baseless" lawsuit, a strategy that drew condemnation from women's rights groups.

Andrew had said as recently as late last month that he wanted the case to be heard before a US jury.

Royal biographers and commentators said after the settlement that Andrew would likely not be able to resume a public role, while Britons said the case had done huge damage to the whole family.

At the heart of the case was the late financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, a friend of Andrew's through his associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Ms Giuffre had accused Epstein of trafficking her for sex.

Maxwell was found guilty of helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls in December.

Royal biographer Penny Junor said Andrew's previous failure to show any support for Epstein's victims had been unforgivable. "He came across as a really unsympathetic figure," she said.

Andrew has always denied forcing Ms Giuffre to have sex more than two decades ago at the London home of Maxwell, Epstein's mansion in Manhattan, and Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands. The prince, who was stripped last month of his military links and royal patronages, and gave up his "Royal Highness" title, did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement.

Former royal correspondent at The Sun newspaper Charles Rae said the settlement would at least prevent a lurid court case from taking place in the same year Queen Elizabeth celebrates her 70th year on the throne. "I should imagine that there is a big sigh of relief at Buckingham Palace."

REUTERS