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Topic History of: Prince Andrew and Giuffre
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From the Telegraph.
Still hope for Prince Andrew after accuser Virginia Giuffre ‘error’, says lawyer
Her admission she ‘may have made a mistake’ in another sexual assault case should make people ‘stop and question’ her other accusations
The Duke of York could still make a comeback after his accuser backed down on a sexual abuse claim, his friend has claimed.
Paul Tweed, a media and libel lawyer who has known the Duke for many years, said Virginia Giuffre’s “extraordinary” admission that she “may have made a mistake” in accusing lawyer Alan Dershowitz of abusing her as a teenager, prompted questions over her credibility.
It also called into question aspects of the Duke’s legal strategy, he said, suggesting he should have stood his ground and let “the facts come out” rather than agreeing to a hefty financial settlement that many interpreted as guilt.
Asked whether the development could help Prince Andrew eventually salvage his reputation, Mr Tweed told The Telegraph: “I wouldn’t slam all doors just yet.
“The battle has moved from the court of law to the court of public opinion but I don’t think anything is insurmountable.”
Ms Giuffre launched legal proceedings against the Duke last August, alleging that he had sexually abused or raped her on three separate occasions in 2001 when she was 17.
Mr Tweed said an early decision not to engage with her lawyers immediately put him on the back foot, creating a scenario in which her team was calling the shots.
“I would have handled it completely differently,” he said.
“You’ve got to look at a case, how are you going to get the facts out there?
“Initially, it started off with ‘never complain, never explain’. That’s fine if you stick to that, but they didn’t.
“Then every time something happened, a reactive statement came out and that is never satisfactory in terms of public opinion.”
He added: “If you’re going to speak, you’ve got to get the facts out there. You’ve got to take the initiative and put them out there clearly, on your terms and that didn’t happen.
“It’s frustrating. The consequences for him have been absolutely catastrophic.”
A similar view was expressed last year by royal courtiers, who feared the Duke’s “wall of silence” was increasingly damaging the monarchy.
The Duke, who denied any wrongdoing, was determined to take the civil case to trial and clear his name.
But Buckingham Palace urged him to settle as the lurid claims increasingly dominated the news agenda and threatened to overshadow Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
Mr Tweed branded Ms Giuffre’s statement on the Dershowitz case “incredible”.
“For her to admit that she may have made a mistake – and it’s such an extremely serious allegation – is extraordinary,” he added.
“She had gone to the lengths of issuing legal proceedings – that’s not just a question of mistaken identity in a lineup or something. This was a carefully considered legal action.”
Mr Tweed said Mr Dershowitz’s decision to fight the case was the right approach.
“That’s the way you do it,” he added. “If you believe you’re in the right if you’re in the right, you take your case, you get stuck in.”
He said Ms Giuffre’s statement, made last week, may make people “stop and question” her other claims, which could only be positive for the Duke in the long term.
The Duke’s spokesperson declined to comment. |
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