PRINCE Andrew’s accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre warned that “others must be held accountable” after Ghislaine Maxwell was found guilty of sex trafficking.
Ms Roberts, who is currently staying in Australia with her family, shared her reaction to Twitter following Maxwell’s trial in New York where she was found guilty on five out of six counts of grooming girls for Jeffrey Epstein’s paedophile ring.
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“My soul yearned for justice for years and today the jury gave me just that,” Ms Roberts tweeted.
“I will remember this day always.
“Having lived with the horrors of Maxwell’s abuse, my heart goes out to the many other girls and young women who suffered at her hands and whose lives she destroyed.
“I hope that today is not the end but rather another step in justice being served. Maxwell did not act alone. Others must be held accountable. I have faith that they will be.”
The 38-year-old alleges the prince abused her on multiple occasions in 2001.
Andrew strongly denies her allegations.
It comes as the prince’s lawyers want Ms Robert’s lawsuit thrown out because she “lives in Australia and not the US”.
His lawyers claim questioning Ms Roberts under oath would show she is “domiciled” in Australia instead of Colorado, as she says – and so a New York court may have no jurisdiction.
The Duke’s attorney, Andrew Brettler, said she was living in a £1million home in Perth when she filed her lawsuit and had spent less than two years in the US since moving Down Under in 2002.
The prince’s lawyers in October asked Judge Lewis A. Kaplan to throw out the lawsuit, saying he never sexually abused or assaulted her.
They also accused Ms Giuffre of suing the duke to achieve another payday at his expense and at the expense of those closest to him.
A hearing on January 4 is set to determine whether the case against Andrew, 61, can proceed.
Meanwhile, Maxwell’s guilty verdict will come as bad news for Prince Andrew.
The Duke of York was already facing being grilled about his sex accuser, Ms Roberts, under oath in the US in front of a jury who are unlikely to be sympathetic to a British prince.
TRIAL OF THE CENTURY
Only one verdict in New York this week would have made any difference to Andrew, and that would have been if Maxwell had been cleared of all charges.
The British socialite showed little emotion as a jury of six women and six men convicted her on five out of six counts of grooming girls.
They had been deliberating for more than 40 hours, in the landmark sex trafficking trial.
Maxwell was found guilty of conspiracy to entice individuals under 17 to travel with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity and conspiracy to transport a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The jury also found her guilty of sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking of an individual under 18 and transportation of an individual under 17 with intent to engage in illegal sexual activity.
She now faces up to 65 years in jail.
A sensational three-week trial in Manhattan heard how “dangerous” Maxwell was a “sophisticated predator” who preyed on girls as young as 14.
She was accused of grooming the young teenagers for Epstein, her ex-lover, with the prosecution painting them as “partners in crime”.
‘PYRAMID SCHEME OF ABUSE’
Maxwell would arrange for the girls to give the US financier’s massages, after introducing them to sexual contact – even groping three of the four accusers in the case.
During the massages, the girls would be abused by Epstein.
Prosecutors said she and Epstein operated a “pyramid scheme of abuse” by bringing in young women to recruit other girls for them.
Prosecutors said Epstein had transferred a staggering £26million to Maxwell over the years – which she had used to buy houses and helicopters.
Their case against Maxwell initially had appeared on shaky ground – with just a 25-minute opening statement and 24 witnesses, which they got through in two weeks.
Some of the most high-profile Epstein victims – like Prince Andrew’s sex accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre – were controversially not called to give evidence.
But Maxwell’s attorneys also struggled to present their case – calling just nine witnesses out of a proposed 35 in a defence that lasted less than two days.
None of their witnesses could refute the prosecution testimony that Maxwell was conspiring with Epstein to sex traffic young girls.
Maxwell also declined to give evidence – telling the court: “You honour, the government has not proved its case beyond a reasonable doubt so there is no need for me to testify.”
But the jury decided the US government had proven its case.
All four of Maxwell’s siblings were in court to hear the closing arguments in the case – having travelled from the UK and from around the US to back their sister.
They had also complained to the United Nations about her treatment – claiming she had been heavily shackled to and from court and was not receiving proper food.
