Prince Andrew and accuser Virginia Giuffre seek witnesses in sexual-assault lawsuit

• Prince Andrew's lawyers want to question Virginia Giuffre's husband and her psychologist, according to The Guardian.
• Giuffre's lawyers want testimony from two people, including Prince Andrew's former assistant.

On Saturday the Associated Press reported that lawyers for Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre, the woman who's accused him of sexual assault, have filed their initial requests for witnesses.

According to court documents obtained by The Guardian, Prince Andrew's legal team has pivoted their attention to Giuffre's psychologist, Dr. Judith Lightfoot, and Giuffre's husband, Robert Giuffre.

Lawyers for the Duke of York, 61, want to question Lightfoot, who treated Giuffre, 38, over claims she "may suffer from false memories" and to disclose any medication prescribed to Giuffre, court documents say, according to the outlet. The duke's legal team also seeks testimony from Robert about the couple's finances and the circumstances around their meeting in 2002, The Guardian reports.

While Prince Andrew's legal team seeks to question Lightfoot and Robert, Giuffre's team wants testimony from Prince Andrew's former assistant and a woman who claims to have seen the two together at a London nightclub during the time in question, according to The Guardian.

Representatives for the duke and Virginia Giuffre did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Prince Andrew attempted to block the lawsuit, but a judge denied his motion to dismiss in January 2022.

The Guardian noted that if a US judge and Australian authorities comply with the requests, Lightfoot and Robert Giuffre would need to be questioned under oath via video from their homes in Australia.

During a defamation case against Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell in April 2015, Giuffre claimed Epstein forced her to have sex with Prince Andrew in 2001 when she was 17. The royal family initially denied the claims in a statement, and Prince Andrew later stepped down from his royal duties in November 2019 after a "car crash" BBC interview.

In August 2021, Giuffre filed a lawsuit accusing Prince Andrew of sexual assault, claiming that he was aware of her age and knew she was a victim of sex trafficking.

"I am holding Prince Andrew accountable for what he did to me. The powerful and the rich are not exempt from being held responsible for their actions," Giuffre said, via her lawyers, in a statement to ABC News.

On Thursday Buckingham Palace issued a statement saying that the Queen stripped him of his military titles and patronages just months after The Times of London reported that she let "it be known" she wanted him to keep them. Now, Prince Andrew will face the sexual assault lawsuit as a private citizen, according to Buckingham Palace's statement.

Vanity Fair recently reported that Prince Andrew would not attend the Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations which will be held throughout the year.