News / Society

Judge throws out sex claims against British Prince Andrew

Wednesday, 08 April 2015 2:57 PM [ Last Update: Wednesday, 08 April 2015 2:57 PM ]

British Prince Andrew (file photo)

A US judge has ruled that “lurid” sex allegation against Prince Andrew cannot be used in case against his friend, billionaire financier, Jeffrey Epstein.

Virginia Roberts claims that Epstein assaulted her and used her as a “sex slave” for his friends and associates. She claims to have had sex with Prince Andrew when she was only 17 years old.

Roberts and another woman, identified as Jane Doe No 4, claimed to be among dozens of women Mr. Epstein is said to have sexually abused as teenagers.

There will be sighs of relief, privately, if not publicly that Judge Kenneth Marra has ruled that the naming of Prince Andrew was "unnecessary" to decide the civil case.

The allegations led to a major crisis for the royal family who issues a series of unprecedented interventions that only added fuel to the fire of the rumour mill. Buckingham Palace has always “emphatically denied” the allegations.

The civil case involves two women, known only as Jane Doe 1 and 2, who are suing the US government for “failing to protect their rights” when it entered in to a plea deal with Epstein.

The billionaire was jailed in 2008 for a sex offence with a minor.

Two women, known as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, are suing the US government, saying it failed to protect their rights when it entered into a plea deal with Epstein, who spent time in jail in 2008-9 for a sex offence with a minor.

Many of Mr. Epstein’s high profile former associates, such as Bill Clinton, broke off contact with him after he was jailed, but Prince Andrew did not.

When throwing out the claim, the judge did not comment on whether or not he believed the claims of Ms Roberts were true.

NM/PHX

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