Why Prince Andrew is staying silent over sex assault claims

Duke of York’s legal team reportedly instructed him ‘to refuse any request’ to discuss Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s lawsuit

Prince Andrew
(Image credit: Christopher Furlong/WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince Andrew and his lawyers are steering clear of a pre-trial hearing in New York today over sex abuse allegations against the royal.

The Duke of York is facing “growing criticism” of his apparent failure to engage in the civil case, filed by accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre last month, said The Times. Andrew has denied Giuffre’s claims that he repeatedly assaulted her when she was aged 17.

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Kate Samuelson is The Week's former newsletter editor. She was also a regular guest on award-winning podcast The Week Unwrapped. Kate's career as a journalist began on the MailOnline graduate training scheme, which involved stints as a reporter at the South West News Service's office in Cambridge and the Liverpool Echo. She moved from MailOnline to Time magazine's satellite office in London, where she covered current affairs and culture for both the print mag and website. Before joining The Week, Kate worked at ActionAid UK, where she led the planning and delivery of all content gathering trips, from Bangladesh to Brazil. She is passionate about women's rights and using her skills as a journalist to highlight underrepresented communities. Alongside her staff roles, Kate has written for various magazines and newspapers including Stylist, Metro.co.uk, The Guardian and the i news site. She is also the founder and editor of Cheapskate London, an award-winning weekly newsletter that curates the best free events with the aim of making the capital more accessible.