The real reason Jeffrey Epstein rape victim Virginia Giuffre took her own life at 41
Virginia Giuffre, who led a class action against the late billionaire financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein over a sex trafficking ring, has died by suicide.
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Sex trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre, 41, has taken her own life, as her family reveal the abuse she suffered at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein had become “unbearable”.
Ms Giuffre’s family confirmed the mother of three died at her farm in Neergabby, north of Perth, on Friday night.
“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” her family said.
“Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.”
Her family said Ms Giuffre found the strength and courage to speak out about her abuse when she was holding her newborn daughter Emily in her arms, and that her children were the light of her life.
“She was heroic and will always be remembered for her incredible courage and loving spirit. In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight,” they continued.
“There are no words that can express the grave loss we feel today with the passing of our sweet Virginia. We know that she is with the angels.”
Ms Giuffre, who was born in California and raised in Florida, shot to prominence in 2015 when she publicly accused wealthy financier Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell of grooming her and forcing her to participate in an elaborate sex ring, from which she escaped in 2002.
She said Epstein and Maxwell trafficked her to rich and powerful men, pointing the finger directly at Prince Andrew as one of her abusers. Prince Andrew later settled a civil suit with her for an undisclosed amount. He has always denied assaulting her.
Epstein died by suicide in August 2019 while in a New York City jail awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges. Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year sentence in a US federal prison after being convicted of child sex trafficking in 2021.
Her death comes just weeks after she was hospitalised with kidney issues following a collision with a school bus. In the post, she said that she only had four days to live, but that she was “ready to go”.
She wrote: “I’ve gone into kidney renal failure, they’ve given me four days to live, transferring me to a specialist hospital in urology. I’m ready to go, just not until I see my babies one last time, but you know what they say about wishes.”
While police only had a record of a minor bus accident that resulted in $2000 worth of damage and no injuries.
Her brother Sky Roberts then claimed Ms Giuffre was involved in another incident in January. He says that event resulted in a cracked sternum and perforated eye, and almost killed her.
Referencing the January incident, Ms Giuffre said: “I was able to fight back against Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein who abused and trafficked me … I can no longer stay silent.
Ms Giuffre had moved to Western Australia with her husband Robert in 2019, prior to Epstein being arrested.
She is survived by her three children, Christian, Noah and Emily.
If you, or someone you know, need help, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or www.lifeline.org.au
For help with depression, contact Beyond Blue on 1300 22 46 36 or at www.beyondblue.org.au
The SANE Helpline is 1800 18 SANE (7263) or at www.sane.org
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Originally published as The real reason Jeffrey Epstein rape victim Virginia Giuffre took her own life at 41
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