Virginia Giuffre, who accused Prince Andrew and Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, has died by suicide aged 41, her family has said.
Ms Giuffre was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offenders Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell, his former girlfriend. She alleged they trafficked her to the Duke of York when she was 17, which Prince Andrew has strenuously denied.
Relatives said in a statement on Friday that she had been a “fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse”, and that the “toll of abuse… became unbearable”.
“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” they said.
The statement described the mother of three “as the light that lifted so many survivors” and said she died on Friday at her farm in Western Australia.
West Australia police said they were called to a home in the Neergabby area on Friday night, where Ms Giuffre was found unresponsive.
A statement continued: “The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious.”
Ms Giuffre – who was born in the US – had been living with her children and husband Robert in the suburb of North Perth, although recent reports suggested the couple had split after 22 years of marriage.
Three weeks ago, Ms Giuffre posted on Instagram to say she had been seriously injured in a car accident, which her family later said she had not intended to make public. Local police later disputed the severity of the crash.
In a statement, Ms Giuffre’s long-time spokesperson Dini von Mueffling described her as “one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever had the honour to know”.
She said Ms Giuffre was a “beacon to other survivors and victims” and that “it was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her”.
After making her abuse allegations public, Ms Giuffre became a prominent campaigner and was closely associated with the Me Too movement.
Ms Giuffre alleged that Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her to Prince Andrew when she was 17.
The prince, who has denied all claims against him, reached an out-of-court settlement with her in 2022.
The settlement included a statement in which he expressed regret for his association with Epstein but contained no admission of liability or apology.
Ms Giuffre said she became a victim of sex trafficking when she was a teenager.
She said she met Maxwell, a British socialite, in 2000.
From there, she said she was introduced to American financier Epstein and alleged years of abuse by him and his associates.
Epstein took his own life in prison in 2019, where he was being held awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
He was previously convicted in 2008 for soliciting prostitution from a minor.
Maxwell was sentenced to 20 years in prison in the US for her role in Epstein’s trafficking and abuse.
If you are suffering distress or despair, details of help and support in the UK are available at BBC Action Line. In the US, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 1-800-273-8255 or the Crisis Test Line by texting HOME to 741741. Help is also available in the US and Canada by dialing 988. Young people in need of help can call Kids Help Phone on 1-800-668-6868
