Virginia Roberts Giuffre has reacted to judge's decision not to throw out her civil case against Prince Andrew, who she accuses of sexually assaulting her when she was 17.
The news comes as the Duke of York has returned his Royal patronages and military honors to the Queen. "The Duke of York will continue not to undertake any public duties and is defending this case as a private citizen," a statement from Buckingham Palace read.
On Wednesday, Judge Lewis A Kaplan dismissed a motion by Andrew's lawyers to have the case against him disregarded on the grounds that Giuffre had signed a confidential settlement with convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, MailOnline reports.
The Prince now faces a trial in open court later this year.
Giuffre alleges that she met Prince Andrew through Epstein, who trafficked her and many other teenage girls with the help of his recently convicted accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell.
She claims that she was forced to have sex with the Duke three times when she was just 17 years old. Now 38, the American-Australian campaigner is suing him for sexual assault.
The news that her civil case had not been thrown out was well met by Giuffre, who tweeted: "I’m pleased with Judge Kaplan’s ruling yesterday that allows my case against Prince Andrew to go forward.
"I’m glad I will have the chance to continue to expose the truth & I am deeply grateful to my extraordinary legal team," she added.
In a later tweet, she said: "My goal has always been to show that the rich and powerful are not above the law & must be held accountable."
Finally, Giuffre paid tribute to her fellow survivors, saying: "I do not walk this path alone, but alongside countless other survivors of sexual abuse & trafficking."
Her response comes on what has doubtless been a hard day of the Duke, after his mother the Queen reportedly "stripped" him of all his honorary official titles.
The decision means Andrew will no longer use the 'His Royal Highness' signifier in any official capacity and represents a complete removal of him from active royal duty.
It also means that the prince - who has always strenuously denied Giuffre's allegations - will be defending his case as a "private citizen."
