Prince Andrew will not face another sexual assault trial after accuser missed deadline to make a claim – with sources saying Duke is ‘greatly relieved’ as he begins rebuilding public image

Prince Andrew has avoided a new sexual abuse trial after a woman who accused him of wrongdoing missed the deadline to make her claim.

Johanna Sjoberg, who has accused the Duke of York and pedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein of sexually assaulting her, had until a month ago to file a case against the royal family, the Mirror reports.

It had raised fears that the king’s eldest brother could face another lawsuit similar to that of another Epstein victim, Virginia Roberts Guiffre, which ended with her receiving a £12 million out-of-court settlement.

However, this will not happen after Ms Sjoberg failed to file a motion in time in the United States, with sources close to the Duke saying he is “greatly relieved” and wants to restore his image.

In recent weeks he has been seen accompanying the royal family, including his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson, at events such as Christmas Mass at Sandringham.

Johanna Sjoberg (pictured), who has accused Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, had until last month to file a claim against Prince Andrew, but did not

However, it might not be the end of the ordeal for the Duke of York over his associations with Epstein, who committed suicide in prison in 2019.

Material relating to Ms Sjoberg and other women who accused Epstein of abuse will be made public, with 170 people linked to the disgraced financier named in court.

Ms Sjoberg has previously claimed that the king’s brother put his hand on her breast at multi-millionaire pedophile Epstein’s Manhattan home in 2001.

She claimed this happened during an incident in which a latex Spitting Image doll of the Duke of York – a gift from Epstein’s then-lover Ghislaine Maxwell – was used to touch Virginia Roberts’ breast.

Ms Roberts, who now uses her married name Giuffre, claimed she and Andrew slept together at Epstein’s house afterwards.

The Duke paid a £12million settlement to Ms Roberts in 2022 over her claims he sexually assaulted her when she was 17, which he has always denied.

During his infamous Newsnight interview in 2019, he said he could not remember ever meeting Ms Roberts.

The new material is part of hundreds of files belonging to more than 170 people who were Epstein’s associates, friends or victims that New York Judge Loretta Preska ruled should be made public.

Virginia Giuffre claims she was trafficked by Epstein and had sex with the Duke of York at the age of 17. Pictured: Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts, 17, and Ghislaine Maxwell

The Duke of York could be among those under renewed scrutiny if he is named in the documents (pictured together walking in Central Park in 2010)

The Duke of York reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022, paying £12 million

A judge has decided to unseale documents in the coming weeks that would name 177 people who are friends, recruiters and victims of Epstein

Ms Roberts’ lawyer, Sigrid McCawley, calls the new material “disturbing testimony that confirms what is at the heart of this case – Maxwell was involved with Jeffrey Epstein in facilitating the sexual abuse of young girls.”

The files were part of a 2015 US defamation case by Ms Roberts against Maxwell, the British socialite who supplied Epstein with underage girls.

That was settled out of court, but the media successfully fought to make the documents public. They have been released on a rolling basis since 2019.

The 30-page summary of Ms Sjoberg’s evidence is expected to be released this week, alongside claims about a hidden Maxwell email account, which could reportedly reveal details of her conversations with 63-year-old Andrew.

Ms. Sjoberg, now a hairdresser who is 42 years old and lives in Florida, has previously said that Maxwell recruited her in 2001 to give massages to Epstein while she was still in college.

Recalling the Spitting Image doll incident, Ms. Sjoberg said in a sworn statement in 2016: “I remember someone suggested a picture and he told us to sit on the couch. Virginia and Andrew sat on the couch and placed the doll on her lap.

“And so I sat down on Andrew’s lap, I believe of my own volition, and they took the doll’s hands and put them on Virginia’s chest, and so Andrew put his on mine.”

She said it all happened in “joke.” According to her previous accounts, although the prince was inappropriately tactile, he had given no offense.

Andrew denies any wrongdoing.

Epstein, 66, hanged himself in prison while being held on child sex trafficking charges in 2019. Maxwell, 62, was jailed for 20 years in 2022 for helping him abuse girls.