Prince Andrew sex abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre hauntingly told how she was “ready to go” just weeks before her tragic suicide.
The 41-year-old took her own life on Friday at her farm in Western Australia after years of fighting to bring the rich and powerful who she said abused her through Jeffrey Epstein to justice. WA Police confirmed her death was being investigated but was considered “not suspicious”. Paramedics provided emergency first aid at her home around 9.50pm but they were unable to revive the mother-of-three and she was pronounced dead at the scene.
A force spokesperson said: “Police and St John WA attended and provided emergency first-aid. Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene. “The death is being investigated by major crime detectives. Early indications are that the death is not suspicious.”
Last night, a lawyer for the victims of Epstein said he was “not surprised” Giuffre took her own life given the torment she suffered. Leading attorney Spencer Kuvin told the Sunday Mirror: “Sadly, we often witness that sexual abuse leaves lasting scars that never fully heal. Abuse victims never truly recover from what has transpired. The weight of these scars can be overwhelming for some, leading them to make tragic choices like Ms Giuffre. Despite her remarkable strength and resilience, she fought valiantly against her wealthy and powerful abusers. It is both saddening and not surprising that she ultimately chose to end her life to alleviate her suffering.”
A fellow victim of Epstein, who was recruited by Epstein as a teenager while living close to his mansion in Palm Beach, Florida, spoke of her anger that justice was never achieved for Ms Giuffre. She said: “When I woke to learn of Virginia’s death, I just sat there and cried. Not just for her but because it feels like this was always going to happen. They broke her. They chipped away at her spirit piece by piece, year after year. And the people who should have been held accountable, the men who smiled and shook hands with Jeffrey, the ones who used girls like us like we were disposable – they have never paid.
The now 38-year-old added: “Virginia was a fighter. She was the one who stood up when the rest of us were still too scared to even say Jeffrey’s name out loud. She forced the world to look at something they didn’t want to see. She carried all of our stories when we couldn’t. And that weight, it’s more than one person should have to bear.
“What hurts the most is knowing that her death will be a relief to some of them. The ones who knew what they did and worried she might one day drag them into the light. I hope they hear her voice every time they close their eyes. Virginia didn’t die because she was weak. She died because they made sure survival was a never-ending battle. She deserved better. She deserved peace. And she damn well deserved justice.”
In a statement, Ms Giuffre’s publicist, Dini von Mueffling, described her as “a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking.” Her family added, “Despite all the adversity she faced, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.” Mueffling, who represented the American for years, said she was “deeply loving, wise, and funny,” and spoke movingly about how, despite her abuse, always put others ahead of herself.
Ms Giuffre’s death came after a turbulent few months. She had acrimoniously split from her husband of 22 years, Robert Giuffre, whom she credited with rescuing her from Epstein’s control. According to her father, Sky Roberts, she was going through a ‘messy’ divorce.
Ms Giuffre faced a court appearance earlier this month amid accusations of domestic abuse over an alleged restraining order violation after texting her estranged husband in February. Five days after her scheduled appearance, she posted her final haunting Instagram story: first a link to Gotye’s breakup song Somebody That I Used To Know , then a black screen with no words – only a broken heart emoji pinned to her profile.
Last month, Ms Giuffre had also alarmed followers by sharing a hospital-bed photo showing extensive bruising, claiming she had been hit in a car crash with a school bus. In the worrying post, she wrote, “I’m ready to go,” pleading to see her children “one last time.” She claimed to have acute kidney failure. Police, however, downplayed the crash’s severity, and she was discharged from the hospital soon after.
Her fight had become synonymous with the battle to hold the powerful accountable. She emerged as a key figure in the downfall of Epstein, alleging that she had been trafficked to some of the world’s most influential men as a teenager, including Prince Andrew. According to Ms Giuffre’s sworn testimony, her abuse at the hands of the billionaire began after she was recruited at just 16 or 17 by Ghislaine Maxwell while working as a spa attendant at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club in Florida.
She said that under the guise of a “massage job,” the British socialite, 63, and Epstein ensnared her into a life of sexual servitude, loaning her out to have sex with the financier’s wealthy friends. One of those men, Giuffre alleged, was the Duke of York.
She claimed she was flown around the world to have sex with the royal and others, sometimes while she was still underage by US law. In detailed civil court filings in August 2021 in New York, Ms Giuffre accused Andrew of sexually abusing her on three occasions:
Ms Giuffre recalled Maxwell telling her: “I want you to do for him what you do for Epstein.”
Andrew, 65, vehemently denied the allegations, claiming he had no recollection of ever meeting his accuser and famously during a disastrous BBC interview in 2019. It came just three months after his paedophile pal, Epstein, died by suicide as he was held in a New York jail cell awaiting trial, accused of underage sex trafficking.
During the Newsnight interview, Andrew disputed claims made by Ms Giuffre that in the lead up to their alleged sex in London, they went to a nightclub together with Maxwell and Epstein. She said she remembered that while on the dance floor, the royal sweated profusely. However, during his Newsnight interview, the Duke claimed he could not have been perspiring as he suffered from a rare condition picked up during the Falklands War that prevented him from perspiring.
Andrew also showed little sympathy for Epstein’s many victims, a tone that quickly led to his withdrawal from public royal duties and stripping of his titles. In early 2022, Andrew settled Ms Giuffre’s civil lawsuit against him for an undisclosed sum reported to be nearly £12 million. In the settlement, he acknowledged she was an “victim of abuse” and that Epstein had trafficked countless young girls. The prince did not admit any guilt.
Maxwell, Epstein’s former girlfriend, was another central figure in Ms Giuffre’s allegations. She described the daughter of crooked media tycoon Robert Maxwell as the woman who “opened the door to hell” for her. According to Ms Giuffre, Maxwell first lured her in under the pretence of employment, manipulating and threatening her into compliance.
The socialite, who Andrew said had introduced him to Epstein, allegedly trained her on how to perform sexual acts to please the American and others, creating a cycle of fear and exploitation. Though prosecutors did not include her testimony in Maxwell’s 2021 federal sex trafficking trial, Ms Giuffre publicly stated that the Brit’s conviction – and eventual 20-year sentence – brought her a degree of vindication.
“She knew exactly what she was doing. She could have said no. She didn’t. And so many of us suffered for her choices,” Ms Giuffre said. Her abuse, however, did not start with Epstein. She was sexually abused by a man known to her family as a child, leading her to run away and endure more exploitation before falling into Epstein’s web.
Her courage in stepping forward led to the creation of SOAR (Speak Out, Act, Reclaim), a charity she founded in 2015 to advocate for survivors of sex trafficking. Despite facing relentless attacks on her credibility – including discrepancies in her claims – Giuffre’s story remained largely consistent, corroborated by photographic evidence, flight logs, and witness testimonies.
Her persistence helped shine a light on an international network of abuse hidden behind wealth and influence. She is survived by her three children, whom she once called “the light of her life.” Sigrid McCawley, one of Giuffre’s longtime attorneys, said, “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.”
**For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email **jo@samaritans.org, visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
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