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Prince Andrew demands a jury trial in civil case

Prince Andrew has asked for a US jury trial as he again denied Virginia Giuffre's accusations that he sexually abused her when she was 17.

Virginia, 38, sued the Duke of York last August, alleging he sexually assaulted her in three different locations between 2000 and 2002, while the late financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was trafficking her.

prince andrew
Prince Andrew has demanded a jury trial in civil case. Photo: Getty

In a filing with the US District Court in Manhattan, the prince, 61, admitted to meeting Epstein in or around 1999, but denied Virginia's claim that he "committed sexual assault and battery" upon her.

The duke reportedly submitted 11 reasons why the case should be dismissed, including that Virginia’s claims are “barred by the doctrine of consent” and by “her own wrongful conduct”.

In the court document which communicated his reasons for requesting a dismissal of the case, Andrew’s lawyers concluded: “Prince Andrew hereby demands a trial by jury on all causes of action asserted in the Complaint.”

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David Boies, a lawyer for Virginia, said in a statement on Wednesday that Andrew was trying to "blame the victim".

"We look forward to confronting Prince Andrew with his denials and attempts to blame Ms. Giuffre for her own abuse," Boies said.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre holds a news conference outside a Manhattan court
Virginia Giuffre holds a news conference outside a Manhattan court following jailhouse death of Jeffrey Epstein in 2019. Photo: AP

Prince Andrew's ties to Epstein, who took his own life in a Manhattan jail cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex abuse charges, have undermined his reputation with the public and standing in the royal family.

Earlier this month, the family removed Andrew's military links and patronages, and said the second son of the Queen would no longer be known as His Royal Highness.

Andrew's filing was an "answer," a common document in US litigation in which defendants deny or say they lack enough information to comment on plaintiffs' substantive accusations.

The prince's lawyers had previously called Virgina's lawsuit "baseless" and accused her of seeking another payday, after she received $US500,000 ($A698,000) in a 2009 civil settlement with Epstein.

US District Judge Lewis Kaplan has said a trial could begin between September and December.

If Virginia won at trial, Andrew could owe her damages. She has asked for an unspecified amount.

Andrew has not been criminally charged, and no criminal charges can be brought in Giuffre's civil lawsuit.

With reporting by AAP.

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