Prince Andrew sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre will have gag clause lifted within weeks

Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Prince Andrew of sexual abuse, will be released from her gagging clause next month.

Giuffre, who now lives in Australia but is originally from the US, launched legal action against the Prince, in which she claimed she was forced to have sex with him three times when she was 17 by convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein.

In the suit, which was launched in August 2021, Giuffre had been seeking unspecified damages for numerous charges including battery, rape, and the infliction of emotional distress.

The case was eventually settled out of court for £12 million. A settlement is not an admission of guilt and the Duke of York has consistently denied all wrongdoing.

A statement from the Prince and Giuffre read: “Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew have reached an out of court settlement. The parties will file a stipulated dismissal upon Ms Giuffre's receipt of the settlement (the sum of which is not being disclosed). Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights.

“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.”

As part of the settlement, both Giuffre and Prince Andrew signed a contract that banned either of them from publicly discussing the case of the settlement for a year.

That contract is set to expire next month, meaning Giuffre could be free to talk about the case, including taking part in TV interviews, speaking to the press or writing a book, The Telegraph reports.

The specific terms of the gagging order have not been released publicly - but it is set to expire later next month.

It is thought that Giuffre may have agreed not to speak about the Duke or repeat her allegations, but she may be free to talk about her experience of being trafficked by Epstein.

Prince Andrew stepped down from his public duties last year, he was also stripped of his military titles and patronages by his late mother Queen Elizabeth.