Ancil
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew of s**ual abuse, passed away at the age of 41.
Giuffre, one of the most vocal victims of the disgraced U.S. financier Epstein, claimed that he and his longstanding associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, had groomed and s**ually assaulted her when she was a teenager.
In 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against Prince Andrew in the federal court in New York, alleging he s**ually assaulted her on three occasions when she was 17. Prince Andrew has vehemently and repeatedly refuted the charges.
The Duke of York defended himself in a 2019 interview with the BBC, stating: “I have no recollection of ever meeting this lady, none whatsoever. It just never happened.”
Prince Andrew declared that he would be resigning from his position as a public figure in response to criticism of the interview.
Giuffre and the duke were said to have negotiated an out-of-court settlement in 2022 for an unknown amount.
In a statement, Giuffre’s family has now announced the 41-year-old’s passing.
Giuffre, who was born in the United States, took her own life at her property in Western Australia, where she had lived for a number of years, according to the statement released on Saturday.
“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia. She lost her life to s**cide, after being a lifelong victim of s**ual abuse and s** trafficking,” it read, via The Guardian.
“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”
Giuffre’s family described her as a ‘fierce warrior’ against s**ual abuse and s** trafficking, and a ‘light that lifted so many survivors.’
“Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure,” the statement continued.
Sigrid McCawley, Giuffre’s attorney, described her as “much more than a client.”
“She was a dear friend and an incredible champion for other victims. Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring,” McCawley said.
“The world has lost an amazing human being today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”
Giuffre’s death was not publicly confirmed by Western Australia police, but they did say that emergency services were called after a 41-year-old lady was reported to be unconscious at her residence at approximately 9:50 p.m. on Friday.
They verified that despite receiving emergency first aid, the woman was declared dead.
Although the death will be looked into, it is not thought to be suspicious.
Giuffre announced on Instagram earlier this month that she had been gravely hurt in a vehicle accident, something her family later claimed she had not planned to disclose.
She stated in the post that she only had a few days to live.
Although no injuries were reported, WA police later confirmed that a 41-year-old lady was in a car that struck a bus on March 24. Giuffre is thought to have arrived at an emergency hospital in Perth on April 1.
