Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, died of suicide at the age of 41, her family said.
Ms. Giuffre was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offender Epstein and his ex-girlfriend Githraine Maxwell. She claimed that they trafficked her to the Duke of York when Prince Andrew was 17 years old, when he was violently denied.
A relative said in a statement Friday that she was a “a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse” and that “a victim of abuse… has become unbearable.”
“She lost her life due to suicide after becoming a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sexual trafficking,” they said.
The statement said the mothers of three died on a Western Australian farm on Friday, explaining “as a light lifting up so many survivors.”
Western Australian police said they were called to a home in the Noogaby area on Friday night.
The statement continued: “Death is being investigated by a major criminal detective. The early sign is not a questionable death.”
Born in the United States, Ms. Giuffre lived with her child and husband Robert in the outskirts of North Perth, but recent reports suggest that the couple split after 22 years of marriage.
Three weeks ago, Ms Giuffre told Instagram that she was seriously injured in a car accident and that her family had no intention of releasing it later. Local police later disputed the severity of the crash.
In a statement, Ms Giuffle’s longtime spokesman, Dini von Muyefling, described her as “one of the most extraordinary people I have ever known.”
She said Ms Giuffre was a “beacon to other survivors and victims” and “it was a lifelong privilege to represent her.”
After publishing her allegations of abuse, Ms. Giuffre became a prominent campaigner and I was also closely linked to the movement.
Ms Giuffre claimed that Epstein and Maxwell had trafficked her to Prince Andrew when she was 17.
The prince, who denied all claims against him, reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2022.
The settlement included a statement that he expressed regret over his relationship with Epstein but did not include liability or approval of an apology.
Ms Giuffre said she was a victim of sex trafficking when she was a teenager.
She said she met Maxwell, a British socialite, in 2000.
From there she was introduced to American financier Epstein, who said she suspected years of abuse by him and his peers.
Epstein took his life in prison in 2019 and was awaiting trial on charges of sex trafficking.
He was previously convicted in 2008 by a minor in sought prostitution.
Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in the United States for his role in Epstein’s trafficking and abuse.
If you are struggling with pain and despair, details of assistance and support in the UK are available on the BBC Action Line. In the US, you can contact the Crisis Test Line by texting the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or 741741. LEAP is also available in the US and Canada by dialing 988.
