Prince Andrew’s lawyers say Virgina Giuffre “may suffer from false memories”.
New York:
Prince Andrew will test the memory of his assailant as her lawyers want to question a woman who allegedly saw him in a nightclub with a “young girl,” US court documents show.
Lawyers for Andrew and Virginia Giuffre, who sued the British royal family more than 20 years ago for alleged sexual abuse, have named the first witnesses they hope to get in the civil lawsuit.
Andrew’s lawyers said in a filing with a New York court late Friday that they were seeking testimony from Judith Lightfoot, Giuffre’s psychologist at her adopted home in Australia.
Attorney Melissa Lerner said the Prince’s legal team wants to question Lightfoot about what was discussed during her counseling sessions with Giuffre, who says she was trafficked with Andrew for sex in 2001.
Andrew’s team is seeking Lightfoot’s notes from the sessions and medical records, Lerner wrote in a formal “letter of request” filed with U.S. Judge Lewis Kaplan who was to demand testimony in Australia.
The prince’s lawyers argue that Giuffre “may be suffering from false memories” and want to ask Lightfoot about the “theory of false memories,” according to the letter.
They added that they also wanted to question Robert Giuffre, who married then-Virginia Roberts in and around 2002. The couple lives in Australia with their three children.
Lerner wrote that Giuffre’s husband would likely have information about her “alleged emotional and psychological harm and damage.” She said they also wanted to ask him about Giuffre’s finances.
In a separate file, Giuffre’s lawyers told Judge Kaplan that they wanted to question two witnesses in Britain, including Shukri Walker.
“(Walker) claims to have seen Prince Andrew at the Tramp Nightclub in London with a young girl around the time the plaintiff alleges Prince Andrew abused her in London after visiting the Tramp Nightclub,” attorney Sigrid McCawley wrote.
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“Since Prince Andrew has denied ever meeting the plaintiff or being at the Tramp Nightclub during the relevant period, Ms Walker’s testimony is highly relevant,” she added.
Giuffre alleges Andrew sexually assaulted her at Ghislaine Maxwell’s London home in March 2001, when she was 17 and a minor under US law.
She said the incident happened after a night of dancing at the Tramp nightclub.
The prince has denied having been to the Tramp Nightclub with Giuffre and has said he cannot remember ever meeting her.
Giuffre, now 38, sued Andrew for unspecified damages last year, alleging she had been smuggled to him by Maxwell — who was convicted last month of sex trafficking — and the late disgraced money manager, Jeffrey Epstein.
In addition to the charges in London, Giuffre also says Andrew assaulted her at Epstein’s New York home, and on Epstein’s private island in the US Virgin Islands.
Andrew has repeatedly and strenuously denied the allegations and he has not faced any criminal charges.
Giuffre’s lawyers also want to interview Robert Olney, the prince’s former assistant, who they say has “relevant information” about Andrew’s relationship with Epstein.
Andrew was stripped of his military honors and charitable positions on Thursday after Judge Kaplan rejected his plea to dismiss Giuffre’s case earlier this week.
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