Prince Andrew has agreed to donate to Virginia Giuffre’s charity that supports victims of sexual abuse as part of his settlement agreement.
The exact amount the Duke of York will pay to the group as not been disclosed but it is said to be a ‘substantial donation.’
Lawyers for both parties have announced they have settled the civil sex abuse claim outside of court, bringing an end to a highly-damaging period for the prince.
Ms Giuffre, also known as Virginia Roberts, made the claim against Andrew for damages in her home country of the US, arguing she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein, Andrew’s friend, to have sex with the royal when she was 17. The Duke has always strenuously denied the accusations.
A statement announcing the agreement 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.
‘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.
‘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.’
Ms Giuffre, now 38, created Victims Refuse Silence, a non-profit based in Fort Lauderdale in the US in 2015.
It ‘aims to change the landscape of the war on sexual abuse and human trafficking’ and help survivors ‘break the silence associated with sexual abuse.’
The group has not been active recently – its website domain name has lapsed and it last posted on Facebook in August 2020.
It uses imagery of a blue butterfly to symbolise transformation and because blue is the is the international color of human trafficking awareness.
It is not yet known what Andrew’s donation will be used for or how he plans to ‘support the fight against the evils of sex trafficking.’
Lawyer Lisa Bloom, who represents eight victims of the late disgraced financier Epstein, welcomed the settlement as a ‘victory’ for Ms Giuffre.
She wrote on Twitter: ‘My statement on behalf of the 8 Jeffrey Epstein victims I represent:
‘We hail Virginia’s victory today. She has accomplished what no one else could: getting Prince Andrew to stop his nonsense and side with sexual abuse victims. We salute Virginia’s stunning courage.’
The settlement – although not an admission of guilt – leaves the future uncertain for Andrew.
Royal experts believe he is unlikely to be invited back in from the cold after he was stripped of his titles and HRH style by the Queen in January.
Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the latest developments.
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