What evidence and witnesses supported Virginia Giuffre’s allegations against Prince Andrew?

1. The accuser’s sworn account and civil complaint: Giuffre’s narrative framed the case

Virginia Giuffre filed a civil suit in U.S. federal court alleging she was trafficked by Jeffrey Epstein and forced to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was 17; her lawyers submitted affidavits and complaint documents outlining three alleged encounters and saying she was sex‑trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell ^{[3] [2]}. Reporting and court materials treated her sworn statements as the central factual basis for the lawsuit and for subsequent discovery requests ^[5].

2. The photograph that became emblematic: a visual piece of evidence

A photograph taken on 10 March 2001, showing Prince Andrew with his arm around a young Virginia Giuffre while Ghislaine Maxwell looks on, was widely published and repeatedly cited as key corroborative evidence of at least an acquaintance or meeting; media coverage described the image as “symboliz[ing]” Giuffre’s case ^[1]. Epstein’s own emails later appeared to confirm the girl had been on his plane and had her picture taken with Andrew, a detail reported by the BBC and other outlets ^{[4] [7]}.

3. Third‑party witnesses: names, limits and disputed timing

Judicially requested witness testimony included claims linked to Johanna Sjoberg — who in earlier Epstein‑related documents described incidents involving a puppet and a group that included Giuffre and Andrew — and Shukri Walker, who told investigators she may have seen Andrew with Giuffre at Tramp nightclub in London; Giuffre’s legal team also said up to six witnesses linked Andrew to Giuffre ^{[2] [3] [6]}. However, the reporting also noted timing questions about some witnesses — for example, Andrew’s former aide Robert Olney was later named but has been noted to have taken the equerry post after the alleged incident, which Andrew’s team highlighted as surprising ^[6].

4. Documentary evidence and emails showing efforts to discredit

Documents released in various probes included emails from Jeffrey Epstein discussing the photograph and suggesting efforts to discredit Giuffre; Epstein wrote that Giuffre “can easily be proven to be a liar”, and later published documents were cited by outlets as confirming Epstein’s awareness of the photograph ^{[4] [7]}. Reporting in 2025 also described leaked emails and material suggesting Andrew sought information about Giuffre, prompting police inquiries — material that post‑dates the original civil suit and adds context to parallel investigations ^{[8] [9]}.

5. The defense, denials and litigation strategy

Prince Andrew consistently denied sexual contact and in public statements (including his 2019 Newsnight interview) said he did not recall meeting Giuffre and suggested the photograph might be doctored; his legal team sought to challenge the lawsuit on grounds such as a prior settlement between Giuffre and Epstein and the constitutionality of the statute used to sue ^{[2] [10] [5]}. The defense also sought access to potential witnesses and records (including Giuffre’s psychologist) to probe memory and credibility, which critics labelled victim‑blaming while the defense framed it as standard litigation ^{[3] [11]}.

6. Discovery, depositions and the path to settlement

A New York judge declined to dismiss the suit and ordered evidence and potential depositions to proceed; courts and media reported that depositions of both Giuffre and Andrew, plus other witnesses, were contemplated, and that once key legal rulings occurred the prospect of a trial diminished and settlement became more likely ^{[5] [12]}. The case ultimately resolved with an out‑of‑court settlement, which commentators and legal experts said avoided the full airing of live testimony that might have further tested witness claims and defenses ^{[12] [1]}.

7. What reporting does not settle: gaps and contested details

Available sources do not provide a full public catalogue of every witness testimony or deposition transcript from court discovery; detailed internal witness statements and the complete set of documentary evidence exchanged in discovery remain, in reporting, summarized rather than published in full (not found in current reporting). Where reporting does provide specifics — the photograph, Epstein emails, named witnesses like Sjoberg and Walker, and Giuffre’s sworn allegations — those items formed the core evidence supporting her claims in filings and reporting ^{[1] [4] [2] [3]}.

Summary: Giuffre’s sworn allegations were supported publicly by a contemporaneous photograph, corroborating third‑party statements referenced in investigative materials, and emails and documents from Epstein’s files; Prince Andrew denied wrongdoing and challenged the evidence in court, and the matter was ultimately resolved by settlement after discovery threatened extensive depositions ^{[1] [4] [2] [5]}.