Woman Who Accused Prince Andrew of Epstein Sex Trafficking Dies

The woman who accused Britain Prince Andrew and other prominent figures were accused of sexually exploiting her when she was a teenager, after she was trafficked by financier Jeffrey Epstein. She has passed away at the age of 41.

Virginia Giuffre passed away due to suicide on Friday at her farm in Western Australia , her publicist confirmed.

Full of love, wisdom, and humor, she served as an inspiration for both survivors and victims," stated publicist Dini von Muffeling. "Her affection for her children and numerous pets was immense. She often put others before herself. Her absence leaves a void that cannot be expressed through words. Having represented her has been the highlight of my career.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article contains discussions about suicide. For assistance, the Australian National Suicide and Crisis Lifeline can be reached by dialing 13 11 14. In the U.S., support is accessible via phone or text at 988, with an additional option for chatting online through the website 988lifeline.org.

The American-born Giuffre, who resided in Australia for many years, took up advocacy for victims of sex trafficking following her prominent role in Epstein's extended demise.

In August 2019, a prominent and influential New York financial figure took his own life while waiting for his trial on U.S. federal sex trafficking charges. These accusations involved numerous teenagers and young adults, with victims as young as 14 years old. This case emerged just 14 years following initial investigations by law enforcement in Palm Beach, Florida, regarding claims that he had engaged in sexual misconduct with minors employed to provide massage services.

After the preliminary investigation concluded with Epstein receiving an 18-month sentence in a Florida prison, Giuffre went public. Epstein had secretly arranged to bypass federal prosecution by admitting guilt to less serious state-level offenses related to procuring prostitutes. He completed his sentence and was freed in 2009.

In later legal cases, Giuffre stated that she worked as a young spa employee at Mar-a-Lago — President Donald Trump In 2000, she was approached by Ghislaine Maxwell, who was then Epstein's girlfriend and later became his employee, at his Palm Beach club.

Giuffre stated that Maxwell employed her as a masseuse for Epstein, yet they essentially turned her into a sex slave, coercing her to satisfy not just Epstein but also his acquaintances and partners. According to Giuffre, she was transported across continents for encounters with various individuals, such as Prince Andrew, when she was 17 and 18 years old.

The men refuted her claims and attacked Giuffre's reliability. She admitted to altering certain crucial elements of her story, such as the age at which she initially encountered Epstein.

However, numerous elements of her account were corroborated by documentation, statements from witnesses, and photographs—including an image of her alongside Andrew, with his arm draped over her exposed midsection—at Maxwell’s residence in London.

In one of her legal cases, Giuffre claimed that she engaged in sexual activities with the royal figure on three occasions: during her visit to London in 2001, at Epstein’s residence in New York when she was 17 years old, and in the Virgin Islands when she turned 18.

"Ghislaine said, 'I want you to treat him the same way you handle things for Epstein,'" Giuffre told NBC News' "Dateline" in September 2019.

Andrew firmly denied Giuffre’s claims and stated that he couldn’t remember ever meeting her.

During a BBC interview in November 2019, his denials backfired spectacularly. The audience witnessed a prince offering peculiar defenses—such as denying Ghislaine Maxwell’s account of him sweating profusely while dancing by claiming he couldn’t sweat due to medical reasons—and displayed no compassion toward the women alleging they were abused by Epstein.

In just a few days after the interview took place, Andrew resigned from his royal responsibilities. In 2022, he reached a settlement with Giuffre, paying an unspecified amount which included committing to donate substantially to her victims’ group. According to documents submitted to the court, the prince admitted that Epstein was involved in human trafficking and recognized Giuffre as someone who had been subjected to abuse.

She additionally initiated legal proceedings against Epstein and those associated with him, which were resolved through settlements in certain instances. At one point, she dismissed accusations against a well-known American lawyer, indicating that she could have mistakenly identified him as someone who received services from Epstein.

The death of Epstein brought an end to his victims' expectations of seeing him held legally responsible.

In 2021, Maxwell was found guilty of federal sex trafficking and conspiracy charges and received a sentence of 20 years in prison. She maintained that she should not be held responsible for Epstein’s abuses.

prosecutors chose not to incorporate Giuffre's accusations into the Maxwell case. However, Giuffre later informed the court that the British socialite had "unlocked the gates of hell."

Giuffre, whose birth name is Virginia Roberts, revealed to interviewers that her childhood was devastated when she was sexually assaulted as a young student by someone close to her family. She claimed to have subsequently fled her home and faced further mistreatment.

She mentioned that she encountered her current husband in 2002 when she was undergoing massage training in Thailand, following his request. After getting married, she relocated to Australia and started a family there.

In 2015, Giuffre established an advocacy charity called SOAR.

Last month, Giuffre’s publicist stated that she was admitted to the hospital following a severe incident. When asked for details regarding the timing, place, severity, or additional aspects of the event, as well as the veracity of an Instagram posting purportedly made by Giuffre on Sunday, she chose not to comment. According to this post, which seemed to be authored by Giuffre, she had been involved in a collision with a school bus while traveling in a vehicle, and her condition was critical.

The Associated Press refrains from identifying individuals who claim to be victims of sexual assault unless those persons have publicly stepped forward.

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