Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing
The family of Virginia Giuffre, the woman who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, have spoken out following her tragic death.
Virginia Giuffre's family confirmed on Saturday (26 April) that she had died at the age of 41.
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In a statement, they noted that Virginia had taken her own life following the trauma she had allegedly carried her whole adult life.
They said: "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 suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking."
It continued: "Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors.
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"In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight."
Virginia claimed that she was trafficked to the likes of senior royal family member Prince Andrew by convicted sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, when she was under the age of 18.
The initial alleged incident with the now-disgraced royal took place in 2001 at Epstein's New York apartment, where she claimed that she was forced to have sex with him.
She also reported that he had subjected her to 'battery'.
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Prince Andrew paid a £12 million settlement in the civil court, despite never admitting to the claims, and denying that he had ever met Virginia.
Now, speaking exclusively to PEOPLE, Amanda Roberts, Virginia's sister-in-law, has spoken of her passing.
"The world lost a fierce warrior," Amanda said. "She wished for all survivors to get justice. That is who she was.
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"We lost our sister. Her children lost their mother, and her mother lost her daughter. That's where we are now. She was one of the most beautiful souls you would ever have the chance to meet."
"I think sometimes, that load and that weight becomes too much to carry," she added.
"When you go through what she’s been through her entire life, it’s not over when the court case is over. You are still fighting for the rest of your life."
She noted that when 'mental pain' takes over, it's hard to see anything but that.
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"I think it’s everything from when she was a child until that last day."
After working as a locker-room assistant at Donald Trump’s Florida resort Mar-a-Lago at just 17-years-old, Virginia was hired as Epstein's masseuse.
Epstein - who died from suicide in 2019 - later allegedly trafficked the teenager to his friends, and was described as being passed around 'like a platter of fruit'.
President Trump has also spoken out about the sad news.
Speaking to reporters at New Jersey Airport, the 78-year-old said: "That whole situation is very sad - her and others. Certainly, that’s a horrible thing."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123.
Topics: Virginia Giuffre, Prince Andrew
Mia Williams