Prince Andrew presents his defense in the New York sex trial

Prince Andrew has made headlines that finally present him as willing to defend his innocence in the face of Virginia Giuffre's accusations. "A defiant Andrés calls for a jury trial in the New York sex case," headlines this Thursday on its front page 'The Times'. Popular newspapers also praise the courage of the Duke of York. The reality is, however, more prosaic.

Indeed, on the last page of the eleven that his lawyers filed Wednesday in New York court, his lawyers note in one line that "Prince Andrew demands a trial by jury for all the causes asserted in the lawsuit." . Giuffre has already asked for a jury trial in his lawsuit on Aug. 9, and all it takes is one party to request it.

The document from Andrés' lawyers denies the legality of the trial or his guilt for the acts of which Giuffre accuses him; among them, crimes of rape and sexual abuse when he was a minor. The prince's arguments include that these crimes should be annulled based on "the doctrine of consent" and because they are prescribed by the passage of time.

Andrés's fetishism with stuffed animals supports his victim's complaint

Íñigo Gurruchaga/ London Correspondent

The prince also affirms that the court has no jurisdiction over the case, because the applicant does not live in Colorado, as she claims, but in Australia. He also asks that the lawsuit be annulled because she reached an agreement with Jeffrey Epstein, in 2009, to avoid a trial and protect the late magnate and others, including Andrés, although he is not named in that agreement.

Agreement

It also indicates his intent to discredit Giuffre's accusation with the "dirty hands" doctrine. That legal principle questions the ability of people involved in crimes to denounce others who participated in them. When she was Virginia Roberts, the plaintiff collaborated with Epstein and his assistant, Ghislane Maxwell, to recruit underage girls who were abused.

The filing of your defense in court prevents a sentence from being handed down without your representatives being heard. In the legal language of the United States, the phase of 'discovery' is now entered. Both parties request documents and testimony, and interrogations are carried out, in such a way that evidence and arguments are available for the start of the trial. According to Judge Lewis Kaplan, it could start in September and last three months.

It is expected that the case will actually end with a settlement, in which Andrés will satisfy Giuffre's demand for "punitive damages." But her lawyers have said that a financial solution is not enough for him and that he wants an acknowledgment that her complaint is based on true facts. The prince has been removed from the public life of the monarchy.