Virginia Giuffre, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse and one of the earliest and loudest voices who called for criminal charges, has died by suicide.

Epstein abuse survivors credited her with giving them the courage to speak out against his crimes. Her actions are being hailed as an unflinching campaign for survivors of sexual abuse. Guiffre’s pursuit of justice for the crimes committed against her by the billionaire financier and convicted pedophile made her a public figure.

“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” her family said in a statement confirming her death, “She was the light that lifted so many survivors.”

Guiffre also made allegations against Prince Andrew, which resulted in a legal battle that culminated in an out-of-court settlement in which the royal family member admitted no wrongdoing and maintained his innocence. However, the reputational damage and the disastrous PR campaign he waged to cast doubt over her story had him step back from frontline duties and destroyed his public image.

In 2000, Guiffre, 17 at the time, met British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, who offered her a job as a massage therapist to Epstein. Guiffre alleged that taking the role led to her being trafficked to the financier’s friends and clients. In March 2011, Guiffre went on record about the horrors she faced. She recounted her first meeting with Andrew during a six-week trip to Europe and North Africa.

In 2019, after Epstein’s arrest and death, Guiffre gave her first televised interview on NBC News, where she discussed being trafficked, and in 2021, she sued Andrew in a New York Court, accusing him of sexually abusing her at Epstein’s mansion in Manhattan and other locations in 2001.

Guiffre’s death has drawn tributes and expressions of sorrow over the circumstances; her family said she had taken her own life at her farm in Western Australia.

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Article by Jacob Barker

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