A woman who accused Prince Andrew of sexual assault has been found dead at the age of 41. Virginia Giuffre, who was recently involved in a bus crash, was found at her farm in the Perth suburb of Neergabby, Australia, on Friday, where she has been living for several years. In a statement to Sky's US partner network NBC News on Friday, her family said: "It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia. 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."
Ms Giuffre sued the Duke of York for sexual abuse in August 2021 after claiming Prince Andrew, now 65, had sex with her when she was 17. She also claimed she had been trafficked by billionaire sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The duke has always denied the claims and has not been charged with any criminal offences. In March 2022, Ms Giuffre and Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement which reportedly included a "substantial donation to Ms Giuffre's charity in support of victims' rights". The settlement accepted no liability and Prince Andrew continues to strongly rejected claims of wrongdoing.
We will be bringing you live updates throughout the day...
The Samaritans can be reached round the clock, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
If you need a response immediately, it’s best to call them on the phone. You can reach them by calling 116 123, by emailing jo@samaritans.org or by visiting www.samaritans.org.
