Who was Virginia Giuffre? From allegations on Jeffrey Epstein, Prince Andrew to cause of her death – Here's all we know
Virginia Giuffre, a prominent advocate against sexual abuse, reportedly died by suicide in Western Australia at age 41. She accused Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew's involvement of sexual abuse, and founded Speak Out, Act, Reclaim to combat sex trafficking.
Virginia Giuffre, who made accusations of sexual abuse against Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, has allegedly died by suicide at her residence in Western Australia.
Who was Virginia Giuffre?
Virginia Giuffre is an American-born survivor of sexual abuse and trafficking. She became a key campaigner against sexual abuse by Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew. In 2015, she founded Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR), formerly known as Victims Refuse Silence, which aims to bring an end to sex trafficking. Giuffre is survived by her three children, Christian, Noah, and Emily, according to The Guardian.
How did her death happen?
Virginia died by suicide on Friday. She was 41.
"Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre takes her own life in Australia," news agency AFP reported while citing the family statement.
"It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia," the family said in a statement provided to AFP by her agent. “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” the statement said.
It further added, “In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight."
Her death comes weeks after she was hospitalised following a car crash.
What was Virginia Giuffre linked to?
Virginia accused Jeffrey Epstein, stating that she was groomed and sexually abused by him and his longtime associate, Ghislaine Maxwell, during her teenage years, The Guardian reported. In 2019, Epstein died by suicide in a US jail, awaiting trial on federal charges involving several underage girls. Virginia claimed that she was recruited by Maxwell while working as a teenage spa attendant at Mar-a-Lago in 2000.
She also accused Prince Andrew of sex trafficking. She alleged that Prince Andrew forced to have sex with when she was 17, a minor. These allegations were refuted by Prince Andrew.
Stay updated with the latest Trending, India , World and United States news. Get breaking news and key updates here on Mint!