Virginia Giuffre, Key Accuser in Epstein Case, Dies at 41

Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Britain’s Prince Andrew of sexual abuse in connection with the Jeffrey Epstein sex trafficking scandal, has tragically passed away at the age of 41. Giuffre died by suicide on Friday at her farm in Western Australia, her publicist confirmed.

Giuffre’s family has released a heartfelt statement remembering her as “a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking.” They described her as a beacon of hope for many survivors and expressed how deeply she will be missed. “Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright,” they said. “She will be missed beyond measure.”

Her publicist, Dini von Mueffling, also paid tribute to her, calling her “deeply loving, wise, and funny” and highlighting her devotion to her children and animals. “I will miss her beyond words,” von Mueffling said. “It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.”

Giuffre, born Virginia Roberts in the U.S., had lived in Australia for years and became a prominent advocate for sex trafficking survivors. She gained international attention for her role in the downfall of financier Jeffrey Epstein, who was accused of trafficking and abusing young women and girls. Epstein’s death in 2019 while awaiting trial left many of his accusers without the justice they sought.

Giuffre came forward publicly after Epstein’s 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. She accused Epstein and his associates of exploiting her as a teenager. Giuffre claimed that in the early 2000s, she was recruited by Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s associate, to be a masseuse for Epstein, but soon found herself forced into sexual servitude. She alleged that she was flown around the world to have sex with powerful men, including Prince Andrew, when she was just 17 and 18 years old.

Despite Prince Andrew’s denials, including his infamous 2019 BBC interview, where he gave odd and unconvincing explanations for the accusations, Giuffre’s claims were supported by various documents and testimonies. A notable piece of evidence was a photograph showing Prince Andrew with his arm around Giuffre’s bare midriff, taken in Maxwell’s London townhouse.

In 2022, Prince Andrew reached a financial settlement with Giuffre, acknowledging Epstein’s role as a sex trafficker and acknowledging Giuffre as a victim of abuse. While Giuffre also filed lawsuits against other individuals connected to Epstein, she later dropped claims against one U.S. attorney, acknowledging she may have been mistaken in identifying him.

Epstein’s death in 2019 ended any hopes of criminal accountability for him, but Maxwell’s 2021 conviction for sex trafficking and conspiracy brought some justice to the survivors. Though Giuffre’s accusations were not part of Maxwell’s trial, Giuffre had previously stated that Maxwell had “opened the door to hell” for her.

Giuffre’s personal story was one of resilience. She spoke openly about her traumatic childhood, which included sexual abuse by a family acquaintance. She ran away from home and endured more abuse before meeting her husband while training as a massage therapist in Thailand. She later married, moved to Australia, and founded SOAR, an advocacy charity for survivors of sexual trafficking, in 2015.

Giuffre’s passing comes shortly after a serious accident, though details of the incident were not disclosed. She is survived by her three children, described by her family as the “light of her life.”

Attorney Sigrid McCawley, who represented Giuffre, expressed her grief, saying, “Her courage pushed me to fight harder, and her strength was awe-inspiring. The world has lost an amazing human being today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”

Giuffre’s legacy as a powerful advocate for justice and survivors of sexual abuse will live on, even in the face of her untimely death. Her bravery in confronting one of the world’s most powerful networks of abuse will never be forgotten.

Source: AP News – Virginia Giuffre, who accused Britain’s Prince Andrew in Epstein sex trafficking scandal, has died