Andrew’s fate hangs in the balance today

Lawyers for the duke — who said he cannot sweat — will argue in New York that Virginia Roberts Giuffre’s civil lawsuit should be dropped.

The US Sun reports they claim a secret 2009 deal she made with billionaire paedophile Jeffrey Epstein exempts him from legal action.

A New York judge will rule whether the civil case brought by Ms Roberts Giuffre should be thrown out.

The duke’s team say the 2009 agreement between her and Jeffrey Epstein, published for the first time yesterday, exempts him from legal action.

In it she agreed to end all action against “second parties” but does not name the duke.

Lawyers warned The Sun Andrew, who denied Ms Roberts Guiffre’s claims he danced with her in 2001 by claiming he cannot sweat, may not be in the clear.

Spencer Kuvin, who represents victims of paedophile Epstein, said: “Andrew is going to have a hard time on this — it is not clear-cut for his lawyers at all. I think he is going to still have to sweat on this lawsuit for a while. That is, if he can.”

Ms Roberts Guiffre, 38, claims Andrew, 61, sexually assaulted her three times when she was 17.

He denies it and cannot remember meeting her, although they were photographed together.

The document released yesterday showed she signed a £371,000 ($A700,000) deal with Epstein.

It released “second parties” — including Epstein employees — from legal action. It also states anyone “who could have been included as a potential defendant” is also released.

The duke’s US lawyer, Andrew Brettler, will argue that covers Andrew. But David Bois, Ms Roberts Guiffre’s lawyer said: “The release is irrelevant to Ms Giuffre’s claim against Prince Andrew.

“It does not mention Prince Andrew. He could not have been a ‘potential defendant’ in the settled case against Epstein in Florida because it involved federal claims to which he was not a part. The actual parties to the release have made clear that Prince Andrew was not covered by it.”

Judge Lewis Kaplan will chair the video hearing in New York, though it is not clear when he will issue a ruling.

It comes after Andrew’s friend Ghislaine Maxwell was convicted of sex-trafficking last week.

Nigel Cawthorne, who wrote Prince Andrew: Epstein, Maxwell And The Palace, said: “I think Andrew’s reputation has been damaged for ever, regardless of today’s decision.”

This article originally appeared in The US Sun and is republished here with permission

Originally published as Prince Andrew fate to be decided by New York judge assessing Virginia Roberts Guiffre, Jeffrey Epstein deal