PRINCE Andrew is seeking refuge in Scotland after being sued in the US for allegedly sexually assaulting a teenager.
The Duke of York was seen arriving at Balmoral Castle in Aberdeenshire and was thought to have been accompanied by his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson.
The lawyer representing Andrew’s accuser has warned against anyone ignoring the US courts as he claimed the royal's legal team have "stonewalled" appeals for information.
Virginia Giuffre is suing the Queen's son for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was a teenager, and has said it was "past the time for him to be held to account".
She claims she was trafficked by Andrew's former friend and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with the duke, when she was aged 17 and a minor under US law.
David Boies, who represents Giuffre, said his client ultimately wanted "vindication" from her civil suit for damages.
Andrew has denied the allegations in the past, and a spokesman for the duke said there was "no comment" when she was asked to respond to Giuffre's legal action.
Boies told Channel 4 news: "This is now a matter for courts to decide and it would be very ill-advised for anyone to sort of thumb their nose at a federal court."
He claimed Andrew's lawyers have not co-operated: "They have just totally stonewalled. They have refused to provide any explanation, they refuse to engage in any discussions.
"They refuse to provide any facts, they've even refused to respond to any of the allegations that have been made in any reasonable way. They have basically simply ignored every letter, every phone call, every outreach that we've made."
Boies explained his client “expects to get vindication" from the legal process and went on to say: "Her hope is calling the rich and powerful abusers to account will have some effect on reducing the chance that other young girls will suffer what she suffered."
The duke does not have to attend or give evidence in the civil proceedings in New York.
Andrew stepped back from public duties after the backlash from his 2019 Newsnight interview, dubbed a "car crash", which had attempted to draw a line under his relationship with Epstein – but instead saw him heavily criticised for showing little empathy with the sex offender's victims.
READ MORE: Epstein accuser launches legal action against Prince Andrew for alleged sexual assault
Lawyers for Giuffre filed the civil suit seeking unspecified damages at a federal court in New York, where the court documents claim she was "lent out for sexual purposes" by Epstein including while she was still a minor under US law.
Andrew is named as the only defendant in the 15-page suit, brought under New York state's Child Victims Act, although Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell are mentioned frequently throughout.
It is alleged in the documents Giuffre, then known as Virginia Roberts, was sexually abused while aged under 18 by the Queen's second son at Maxwell's home in London, at Epstein's New York mansion and at other locations including Epstein's private island in the US Virgin Islands.
British socialite Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to sex-trafficking charges in Manhattan federal court, where she faces trial in November, while Epstein took his own life in a US federal jail in August 2019, a month after he was arrested on the same charges.
The documents claim Giuffre "was compelled by express or implied threats by Epstein, Maxwell, and/or Prince Andrew to engage in sexual acts with Prince Andrew, and feared death or physical injury to herself or another and other repercussions for disobeying Epstein, Maxwell, and Prince Andrew due to their powerful connections, wealth and authority".
The duke allegedly engaged in the sexual acts without Giuffre's consent, while aware of her age and while "knowing that she was a sex-trafficking victim", the documents claim, adding the alleged assaults "have caused, and continue to cause her, significant emotional and psychological distress and harm".
Boies told Channel 4 News: "The evidence in terms of what he (Andrew) knew about Jeffrey Epstein's sex-trafficking operation is something that obviously will be for the jury to decide. I think that everybody who was closely associated with Jeffrey Epstein knew that he had these young girls, these young women who he was trafficking."
Solicitor advocate Nick Goldstone, head of dispute resolution at international law firm Ince, said: "I don't think Prince Andrew will be compelled to attend the New York court and give evidence to defend himself.
"I don't think he will be compelled to put in any defence in writing because he can maintain his right to silence.
"And under the American terminology, 'take the fifth' – the Fifth Amendment, everybody has a right to silence for fear of self-incrimination."
If the duke and his legal team do not engage in the civil proceedings, they are expected to continue without their input – with the court making its judgment in due course.
Andrew does not face the prospect of an extradition hearing as this only applies to criminal charges and not civil cases.
In his Newsnight interview with the BBC's Emily Maitlis, Andrew denied claims that he slept with Giuffre on three separate occasions, saying: "I can absolutely categorically tell you it never happened. I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever."
The duke also said he has no memory of a well-known photograph of him with his arm around Giuffre's waist at Maxwell's house, and has questioned whether it was his own hand in the image.
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article