Sydney
CNN
—
Virginia Giuffre, who alleged Britain’s Prince Andrew abused her when she was a teenager, has died by suicide, her family said. She was 41.
Police confirmed that emergency services found a woman unresponsive in her home near Perth, Western Australia, on Friday night. She was pronounced dead at the scene after first aid was unsuccessful.
Her death is not being treated as suspicious, police said.
Giuffre, a mother of three, was one of the most prominent accusers of the wealthy sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In 2019, she publicly alleged Epstein trafficked her and forced her to have sex with his friends, including Prince Andrew, when she was 17 years old.
She also claimed the prince was aware she was underage in the US at the time.
Prince Andrew repeatedly denied the claims.
“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” read a statement from the family.
“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.”
“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors.”
“In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight.”
Help is available if you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or mental health matters. In the US, call or text 988, for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. Globally, the International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide have contact information for crisis centers around the world.
