By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
Virginia Giuffre, who accused the Duke of York, Prince Andrew and the late financier, Jeffrey Epstein, of sexual abuse, has died by suicide at the age of 41.
Ms Giuffre was known globally as one of the most outspoken voices against Epstein and his former partner Ghislaine Maxwell, both convicted sex offenders.
She alleged she had been trafficked to Prince Andrew when she was 17 years old—a claim Prince Andrew has consistently denied.
In a statement released on Friday, her relatives described her as a “fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse”, adding that the “toll of abuse… became unbearable.”
They continued: “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.”
Her family said she died on Friday at her farm in Western Australia. The mother of three was described as “the light that lifted so many survivors.”
Police in Western Australia confirmed they were called to a home in the Neergabby area on Friday night, where Ms Giuffre was found unresponsive.
Authorities added: “The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious.”
Originally from the United States, Ms Giuffre had been living in North Perth with her children and husband Robert, although recent reports indicated that the couple had separated after 22 years of marriage.
Just three weeks ago, Ms Giuffre shared on Instagram that she had been seriously injured in a car crash.
Her family later noted that she had not intended for the incident to be made public, while local police contested the reported severity of the accident.
After coming forward with her allegations, Ms Giuffre became a key figure in the global Me Too movement and continued campaigning for survivors of sexual abuse and trafficking.
Her accusations against Prince Andrew led to a 2022 out-of-court settlement, which included a statement from the prince expressing regret over his association with Epstein, though without any admission of liability or apology.
Ms Giuffre had stated she was first introduced to Maxwell in 2000, which led to her involvement with Epstein and what she later described as years of sexual abuse by him and his associates.
Epstein died by suicide in a US jail in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges, having previously been convicted in 2008 for soliciting a minor.
Maxwell is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence in the US for her role in the trafficking operation.