Virginia Giuffre's Final Handwritten Note Before Death Released
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Prince Andrew's accuser left a final handwritten message to abuse survivors before her death, stating it was time to "show the battlelines are drawn."
The rallying call was shared on Instagram by Virginia Giuffre's brother, Sky Roberts, ahead of a protest by abuse survivors on April 30, Denim Day, in Washington, D.C.
Giuffre was among the most prominent women to accuse Jeffrey Epstein of sexual abuse, and she also filed a civil lawsuit alleging she was forced in 2001 to have sex with Prince Andrew after being trafficked to London, New York and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Prince Andrew denies the allegations.
Giuffre passed away on Friday, and her family said in a statement that she died by suicide.
L: Virginia Giuffre with Prince Andrew in 2001. R: Virginia Giuffre at the Women's Media Awards in New York City on October 22, 2019.
L: Virginia Giuffre with Prince Andrew in 2001. R: Virginia Giuffre at the Women's Media Awards in New York City on October 22, 2019.
Virginia Giuffre/for Women's Media Award
Virginia Giuffre's Final Note
In the note, Giuffre wrote: "Mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers need to show the battlelines are drawn and we stand together to fight for the future of victims.
"Is protesting the answer—I don't know, but we've got to start somewhere."
Sky Roberts wrote on Instagram: "Hello world. we received news today that there's a protest in DC. We found a handwritten note that our sister Virginia wrote.
"I think it's important that the survivors know that she's with you and her voice will not be silenced. I know that it's so important, and her wish is that we continue to fight.
"Her words are; 'Mothers, Fathers, Sisters, and Brothers need to show the battle lines are drawn, and stand together to fight for the future of victims. Is protesting the answer? I dont know. But we've got to start somewhere.'
"To all survivors and those protesting. We stand with you in solidarity and know the fight is not over!"
The exact date Virginia wrote the note is not clear, but the Daily Mail reported it was found among her possessions at the home in Western Australia where she was found dead last week. Her words are being received as an endorsement of the D.C. protest.
The Denim Day Protest
A website for the Denim Day 5K run explains the event's history: "Denim Day, observed annually on the last Wednesday in April during Sexual Assault Awareness Month, stands as a powerful symbol of solidarity and awareness.
"The campaign began after a troubling ruling by the Italian Supreme Court, which overturned a rape conviction based on the victim's tight jeans.
"The decision implied consent, sparking outrage. In response, the women of the Italian Parliament wore jeans to work the next day in support of the victim."
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about Charles and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
California man admits to shipping weapons to North Korea — sentenced to 8 years in prison
A California man has been sentenced to eight years in prison after admitting to shipping weapons and ammunition to North Korea that he said were to be used for a surprise attack on South Korea, authorities said Tuesday. Shenghua Wen, 42, came to the U.S. from China on a student visa in 2012 and remained in the country illegally after it expired, according to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles. Wen pleaded guilty in June to one count of conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government, the statement says. Advertisement 3 Shenghua Wen, 42, was sentenced to eight years in prison after he admitted to shipping weapons to North Korea for a surprise attack on South Korea. Instagram / Shenghua Wen He was sentenced on Monday. Wen told investigators that before he entered the U.S., he met with North Korean officials at an embassy in China, where they instructed him to procure goods for the North Korean government. Advertisement He also admitted that he tried to buy uniforms to disguise North Korean soldiers for the surprise attack, a federal complaint says. North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has demonstrated an intent to deploy battlefield nuclear weapons along the North's border with South Korea, a U.S. ally, recently delivering nuclear-capable missile launchers to frontline military units. United Nations resolutions ban North Korea from importing or exporting weapons. In 2022, North Korean officials contacted him via an online messaging app and instructed him to buy firearms, prosecutors said. Advertisement 3 The U.S. Attorney's office in Los Angeles, California, revealed that Wen was staying in the U.S. illegally after his student visa expired. AP He shipped two containers of weapons and other items from Long Beach, California, to North Korea via Hong Kong in 2023. Start your day with all you need to know Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more. Thanks for signing up! Enter your email address Please provide a valid email address. By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Never miss a story. Check out more newsletters He told U.S. authorities that he was wired about $2 million to do so, according to the complaint. Advertisement Authorities did not specify in the complaint the types of weapons that were exported. 3 Prior to arriving in the U.S. in 2012, Wen met with North Korean officials in China, where he was given instructions on how to procure goods for the North Korean government. U.S. Department of Justice To carry out his operation, Wen purchased a business in 2023 called Super Armory, a federal firearms licensee, for $150,000, and registered it under his business partner's name in Texas. He had other people purchase the firearms and then drove them to California, misrepresenting the shipments as a refrigerator and camera parts. Investigators did not say whether Wen had organized any shipments during his first 10 years in the U.S. The FBI in September seized 50,000 rounds of ammunition from Wen's home in the LA suburb of Ontario that had been stored in a van parked in the driveway, the complaint says. They also seized a chemical threat identification device and a transmission detective device that Wen said he planned to send to the North Korean government for military use, the complaint says.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
French streamer frequently ‘humiliated and mistreated' on-air dies on camera during livestream marathon
A French streamer who was often 'humiliated and mistreated' by a group of other men live on camera for thousands of viewers died in his sleep during a 10-day livestream marathon Monday. Raphaël Graven, known online as Jeanpormanove, was found dead in an apartment he was renting in France. The 46-year-old's death was confirmed by Owen Cenazandotti, a fellow streamer, in a post on Instagram. 4 Raphaël Graven, best known online as Jeanpormanove, died at 46 years old on Monday. Instagram / jeanpormanove Advertisement 'I ask you all to respect his memory and not share the video of his last breath in his sleep. My brother, my sidekick, my partner, six years side by side, without ever letting go, I love you, my brother, and we will miss you terribly,' Cenazandotti wrote in a translated post to his Instagram story. Graven's last breath was apparently captured during a since-deleted 10-day marathon livestream — which wasn't uncommon for the streamer and his partners who are best known for their gaming content and extreme challenges that often featured Graven as the butt of the joke. 4 Graven was best known for his gaming and extreme challenges content. Instagram / jeanpormanove Advertisement In the livestream, Graven lay prone on a mattress almost completely covered by the duvet. While the other streamers started to wake up around him, they noticed he was 'in a really weird position' and tried to get his attention before abruptly cutting the livestream, Le Parisien reported. The city of Nice's prosecutor's office launched an investigation into Graven's cause of death and ordered an autopsy, but noted 'nothing suspicious' so far, the outlet reported. French government minister Clara Chappaz said the violence a 'humiliated and mistreated' Graven often endured during livestreams was an 'absolute horror.' Past livestream clips reshared online show the other men hitting, strangling and shooting Graven with a paintball gun. Advertisement 4 Graven's last moments were captured in the since-deleted marathon livestream. 'The responsibility of online platforms regarding the dissemination of illicit content is not optional: it is the law. This type of failure can lead to the worst and has no place in France, Europe, or anywhere else,' Chappaz wrote on X. She referred the situation to the French media regulator Arcom and Pharos, another French system used to report online content. Kick, the platform Graven streamed on, is also 'urgently reviewing' the circumstances surrounding Graven's filmed death — including its own community guidelines. Advertisement The platform, which is similar to Twitch, has guidelines 'designed to protect creators' and insisted that it was 'committed to upholding these standards across our platform,' a spokesperson told BBC. 4 French authorities are investigating Graven's death. Instagram / jeanpormanove Kick specifically prohibits streamers from featuring anything that 'contains self-harm or excessive violence' and 'illegal content or content in furtherance of harmful or illegal activities,' according to its terms of service. In December, Graven and fellow streamer Safine Hamadi were taken into custody after a bombshell investigation into Kick alleged that it had permitted creators to broadcast violent content unchecked for months. The pair denied any wrongdoing and were quickly released, Le Parisien reported. Popular American streamer Adin Ross and rapper Drake, who serve as ambassadors for Kick, said they will be covering the costs of Graven's funeral. 'This is horrible and disgusting. Whoever was apart [sic] of this deserves to face severe consequences. I just spoke with drake. Drake and I will be covering the funeral costs , this won't bring his life back, it's the least we can do. Prayers go out to Jean's family,' Ross wrote on X.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Actor son of murder-suicide victim issues stepdad funeral plea
An actor whose mother was the victim of a murder-suicide in France has urged her friends not to attend his stepdad's funeral. Callum Kerr, who appeared in Hollyoaks and Netflix's Virgin River, said it would be "inappropriate" for the memory of his mother, Dawn Searle, to be associated with her husband Andrew Searle. The couple's bodies were discovered by a neighbour at their country home in the Aveyron region on 6 February. The prosecutor in charge of the case previously told the BBC it was murder followed by suicide and there was no evidence that another person was involved. The statement, issued on Kerr's Instagram account on behalf of the actor and his sister Amanda, comes more than six months after the couple were found dead. It is unclear why it has taken so long for Mr Searle's body to be released by the French authorities or when his funeral is scheduled to take place. Deaths of British couple in France treated as murder-suicide Actor's grief after mum and husband die in France French prosecutors confirm how British couple died Mr Kerr, who is also a country singer in the US, and his sister said that while the investigation into the deaths was ongoing they "cannot ignore the circumstances as they stand". The statement continued: "For this reason, we must respectfully but firmly request that our mother not be included in any way in the funeral arrangements being made for Andrew." They urged friends of their mother's not to attend the ceremony and asked people not to share photographs of Mr and Mrs Searle together. The statement concluded: "It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honouring the man who, based on all available evidence, may have been responsible for her death. "We ask for understanding, privacy and respect as we continue to grieve and seek justice for our mum." Mrs Searle's body was found in the garden of the couple's property in the hamlet of Les Pesquiès, with severe wounds to her head. Mr Searle's body was found inside their home, about an hour north of Toulouse. Police were alerted to the incident by a neighbour who had gone to check on them when they failed to turn up for a planned dog walk. Post-mortem examinations confirmed Mrs Searle suffered "multiple blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object" while Mr Searle died from hanging. Mrs Searle, 56, grew up in Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders, and Mr Searle, 62, was originally from England. They previously lived in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, and married in France in 2023. Prosecutors said they had lived in the Aveyron region for five years. According to his LinkedIn page, Mr Searle previously worked in financial crime prevention at companies including Standard Life and Barclays Bank.
