Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre dies aged 41
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault, has died aged 41, her family have confirmed.
In a statement, her relatives said she had taken her own life.
"It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia," they said.
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"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."
Police in Western Australia said they were called to a home in the Neergabby area on Friday 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 spokeswoman said.
"The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious."
Giuffre alleged she was trafficked to Prince Andrew at the hands of convicted sex traffickers Jeffrey Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell when she was a minor.
She accused the pair of forcing her 'to have sex' with Andrew in 2001 at Epstein's New York apartment.
Giuffre claimed much of the abuse happened when she was 17 years old, and that the Prince had also subjected her to 'battery'.
Epstein killed himself in August 2019 while awaiting trial on US federal sex trafficking charges involving dozens of teenage girls and young women.
Giuffre and the Royal reached a financial settlement in 2022. He did not admit to any wrongdoing as part of the settlement.
Last month, Giuffre claimed she had been involved in a road traffic collision and had just 'four days to live'.
She took to Instagram, where she shared a number of photos of her injuries - which included deep bruising to her face - after she said her car was ploughed into by a school bus.
"This year has been the worst start to a new year," Giuffre penned in the caption.
"But I won’t bore anyone with the details but I think it important to note that when a school bus driver comes at you driving 110km as we were slowing for a turn that no matter what your car is made of it might as well be a tin can."
Police confirmed there was an accident involving a car and a school bus at 3pm on 24 March in Neergabby, north of Perth, and that the driver of the car was a 41-year-old woman, but described it as a 'minor crash' with 'no reported injuries'.
It later emerged that, the 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 14 March, 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 that Giuffre 'looks forward to defending herself against [Robert's] malicious claim'.
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, News
Jess Hardiman