Virginia Giuffre’s sister speaks out after her death: ‘The world lost a fierce warrior’
Giuffre was one of the most prominent survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse
The sister of Virginia Giuffre, a prominent survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse who died by suicide this week, said she was a “fierce warrior” who “wished for all survivors to get justice.”
Giuffre, 41, was among the first people to call for criminal charges against Epstein. Other survivors credit her with giving them the courage to stand up against Epstein and other abusers.
Now, her sister Amanda Roberts has told People she was one of “the most beautiful souls you would ever have the chance to meet.”
“We lost our sister,” Roberts said. “Her children lost their mother, and her mother lost her daughter."
Giuffre was found dead in her home in Neergabby, Australia this week. She was the mother of three children.
“The world lost a fierce warrior,” Roberts added. "She wished for all survivors to get justice. That is who she was.”
Giuffre founded the organization Speak Out, Act, Reclaim, which is “dedicated to providing a safe and empowering space for survivors of sex trafficking to reclaim their stories and stand up for themselves and each other,” according to the group’s website.
“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” Giuffre’s family said in a statement provided to The Independent on Friday. “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.”
Giuffre was the “light that lifted so many survivors,” her family said. “Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.”
In 2009, Giuffre (then identified only as Jane Doe) sued Epstein and his associate, British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, claiming they recruited her to join a sex-trafficking ring as a minor under the false promise of becoming a professional masseuse.
Giuffre said she was recruited by Maxwell while working at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. Giuffre said Maxwell had approached her while she was reading a massage therapy manual and asked her to become Epstein’s traveling masseuse.
Giuffre went on to say Maxwell groomed her to be sexually abused by Epstein from 1999 to 2002. Epstein died by suicide in 2019 after he was charged by federal authorities with sex trafficking and conspiracy.
She also said Epstein trafficked her to Prince Andrew and others. Prince Andrew, the younger brother of King Charles, has denied all claims that he assaulted her. He resigned from his public duties in 2020 after she went public with her accusations.
Prince Andrew reached an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre in 2022 after she sued him the year before that, stating at the time that he hoped to “demonstrate his regret” for his association with Epstein by “supporting the fight against the evils of sex trafficking, and by supporting its victims.”
Giuffre went on to provide key information to law enforcement that helped prosecutors ultimately convict Maxwell in 2021.
If you are based in the U.S. and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can also speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
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