Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual assault, died at her residence in Neergabby, Australia, on April 24.
Cause of death
Her family confirmed her cause of death in a heartbreaking statement on Friday, revealing she died by suicide at the age of 41.
Family statement
“Giuffre lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” her family said in a statement to People.
“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the 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 light of her life were her children Christian, Noah, and Emily.”
They continued: “It was when she held her newborn daughter in her arms that Virginia realized she had to fight back against those who had abused her and so many others.
“There are no words that can express the grave loss we feel today with the passing of our sweet Virginia. She was heroic and will always be remembered for her incredible courage and loving spirit.
“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight. We know that she is with the angels.”
© ShutterstockAttorney Sigrid McCawley added: “Virginia was much more than a client to me; 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. The world has lost an amazing human being today. Rest in peace, my sweet angel.”
Giuffre was declared deceased at the scene after emergency services were called to a home in the Neergabby area on Friday night, West Australia police said.
© Getty ImagesThey added in a statement: “The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious.”
In January 2022, Giuffre filed a case against Prince Andrew for allegedly sexually assaulting her on three occasions when she was a teenager, allegations he has repeatedly denied.
She claimed she was trafficked by Epstein to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was aged 17 and a minor under US law.
© Getty ImagesThe prince reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre, meaning he did not face a jury trial on sexual abuse claims.
A statement at the time revealed that Prince Andrew “intends to make a substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights”.
It added that he had “never intended to malign Ms Giuffre’s character” and that he recognised she had “suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks”.
© Samir Hussein/WireImageHe also pledged to “demonstrate his regret for his association” with the late convicted sex offender Epstein by supporting the “fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims”.
Prince Andrew also handed back his military titles and patronages to the Queen amid the civil sex case, and he no longer uses the style ‘His Royal Highness’ in any official capacity.
Car crash
© InstagramGiuffre’s death comes just weeks after she claimed she had “four days to live” following a collision with a school bus on March 24.
In an emotional post on Instagram, she said in part: “I’ve gone into kidney renal failure, they’ve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology. I’m ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time.”
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