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Topics: Virginia Giuffre, World News
Chloe Rowland
Topics: Virginia Giuffre, World News
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre has passed away aged 41, her family have confirmed.
In a statement, her relatives confirmed that she died by suicide at her home in Australia on Friday (April 25).
"It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia," they said.
"She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.
"Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors.
"In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight."
West Australia police said they were called to a home in the Neergabby area on Friday (April 25) night, where Giuffre was found unresponsive.
"Police and St John Western Australia attended and provided emergency first aid. Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene," a police spokesperson said.
"The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious."
Giuffre alleged that when she was 17 she was sex trafficked to Prince Andrew by Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, and was 'forced to have sex' with the royal at Epstein's New York apartment.
Prince Andrew denies all claims against him.
In 2022, Giuffre and the Royal reached a financial settlement out of court, though he did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
In 2019, Epstein took his own life in prison where he was awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges. In 2022, Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years behind bars for her role in the sexual abuse of young girls.
Just three weeks ago, Giuffre posted on her Instagram, telling her followers she had been in a car accident and had been given 'four days to live' after suffering 'kidney renal failure' from the crash.
Alongside the news, she posted a number of photos of her injuries which showed extensive facial bruising.
However, local police had disputed the severity of the accident, describing it as a 'minor crash' with 'no reported injuries'.
A month before, Giuffre had been charged with breaching a family violence restraining order in Ocean Reef, near Perth, amid reports of difficulties between her and estranged husband Robert.
Her case was first heard in Joondalup Magistrates’ Court in northern Perth on March 14, where she did not enter a plea.
The matter was adjourned to 11 June for a plea hearing, according to Western Australia Courts, while her agent said at the time that Giuffre 'looks forward to defending herself against [Robert's] malicious claim'.
Following the news of her death, Giuffre's publicist Dini von Mueffling described the mother-of-three as 'deeply loving, wise and funny'.
“She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself,” she wrote in a statement.
“I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her.”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in a mental health crisis, help is available through Mental Health America. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org. You can also reach the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article, you can contact The National Sexual Assault Hotline on 800.656.HOPE (4673), available 24/7. Or you can chat online via online.rainn.org