Nigel Cawthorne, Prince Andrew’s biographer, has told The Independent he was surprised the Prince’s legal team was attempting the same type of defense tactics that he says Ghislaine Maxwell‘s team also employed in her recent trial, considering it backfired on her spectacularly when she was convicted of five counts of recruiting and grooming young girls for Jeffrey Epstein (via The Independent). Specifically, both defense teams used what many consider victim-blaming tactics by claiming the accusers’ motives are questionable and that they are having false memories of events. Cawthorne says he feels the prince is being “seriously misadvised” by his legal counsel to be taking this route in his civil trial.
In a world where the spotlight is shining brightly on the lack of proper accountability for those who commit sexual assault, especially in the aftermath of the Maxwell trial, treating a victim like a criminal doesn’t sit well, and it’s yet to be seen if Prince Andrew’s choice to employ these tactics will backfire the way the did for Maxwell.
