Palace Statement on Prince Andrew Deemed ‘Vindication’ for Virginia Giuffre, Family Says
London – The family of Virginia Giuffre, who died earlier this year, has welcomed a statement from the royal palace regarding Prince Andrew as a “victory” and “vindication” for her.The palace statement, released today, acknowledges Giuffre’s allegations of sexual abuse.
Giuffre had repeatedly alleged that, as a teenager, she had sex with Prince andrew on three separate occasions. The duke of York has consistently denied any wrongdoing. He previously settled a civil case with Giuffre for a reported £12m with no admission of liability.
Amanda Giuffre described the palace’s statement as a moment her sister had ”been waiting for, for a vrey long time,” expressing sorrow that Giuffre was not alive to witness it.
the move has been praised by women’s rights campaigners and advocacy groups. Gemma Sherrington, chief executive of Refuge, stated it was “incredibly powerful to see survivors recognised so directly in a statement from the palace,” emphasizing that it sends a message that “survivors matter, that their experiences are believed, and that they deserve to be at the heart of national conversations about abuse.”
Penny East, chief executive at the Fawcett Society, called it a “welcome acknowledgment that the real victims here are not embarrassed politicians or disgraced princes, but the women and girls who were sexually assaulted by entitled, misogynistic men.” However, she cautioned that “removing a title, or moving house can never be viewed as true accountability or sufficient punishment,” and highlighted the tragedy of Giuffre’s death as a reminder of the impact of sexual assault.
Friends of Giuffre have described her as a “strong warrior” who “refused to back down and refused to stay silent,” and a “world hero.”
The palace has declined to comment further.
Support is available for those affected by rape and sexual abuse. In the UK, Rape Crisis offers support on 0808 802 9999 in England and Wales, 0808 801 0302 in Scotland, or 0800 0246 991 in Northern Ireland. In the US, Rainn offers support on 800-656-4673. In Australia, support is available at 1800Respect (1800 737 732). Other international helplines can be found at ibiblio.org/rcip/internl.html.
