Virginia Giuffre released from hospital, family violence court matter adjourned

The Prince Andrew accuser who earlier this month made global headlines for claiming she was dying did not appear at court over charges for breaching a family violence order.

Virginia Giuffre earlier this month told her social media followers she was dying. Picture: Instagram

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Virginia Giuffre has been released from hospital and granted an adjournment in a family violence court case in Perth.

The Prince Andrew accuser was not required to attend the Joondalup Magistrates Court on Wednesday morning, eight days since she made headlines around the world by announcing on Instagram that she was dying of kidney failure.

Ms Giuffre later said through her spokesperson that she had made the Instagram post by mistake and it was meant for a private Facebook page.

The 41-year-old mother of three is estranged from her husband, Robert, and has been charged with one count of breaching a family violence restraining order. In her home state of Western Australia, the charge carries a maximum penalty of two years in jail. However, some breaches – such as sending a text – can be deemed minor and dealt with by way of a small fine.

Lawyer Karrie Louden leaves Joondalup court. Picture: NewsWire / Sharon Smith

In court on Wednesday, Ms Giuffre’s lawyer, Karrie Louden, asked magistrate Andrew Maughan for an adjournment until June 11.

Mr Maughan granted the adjournment but told Ms Louden “a plea will be required at the next appearance”.

Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre posing for a photo in the early 2000s.

Outside court, Ms Louden said she was not able to comment on Ms Giuffre’s case. She said she expected Ms Giuffre would provide an update about her health soon.

She confirmed that Ms Giuffre had been discharged from hospital.

The Australian understands Ms Giuffre left Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital late on Monday after almost a week as an inpatient. She had been taken to the hospital by ambulance in the early hours of April 1.

Ms Giuffre’s Instagram post shortly before her arrival at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital created confusion because she mentioned she was in a car that had been hit by a bus, had kidney failure and four days to live. It soon emerged the bus crash was very minor and had occurred the week prior, on March 24. No ambulance was called. West Australian police said the car in which Ms Giuffre was a passenger had about $2000 worth of damage as a result of the collision with the bus.

Ms Giuffre was not a renal patient at Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital, The Australian has been told. It is understood the volunteer ambulance crew that collected her from the rural area of Neergabby between midnight and 1am on March 24 believed they were there for a patient with neck and back pain.

Ms Giuffre had been living relatively quietly in a beachside suburb in Perth’s north in recent years.

As a teenager she had been trafficked by the notorious Jeffrey Epstein, who died in prison awaiting trial.

Ms Giuffre alleged Epstein trafficked her to his friend, Prince Andrew, who sexually assaulted her in 2001 when she was 17. The Duke of York denied the allegations and, without admitting any of her claims, he settled with Ms Giuffre in 2022. This formally ended the civil case she had brought against him.