Virginia Giuffre's family share final handwritten note she penned before suicide
Giuffre, a prominent accuser of Jeffrey Epstein and Prince Andrew, was found dead at her home in Neergabby in Western Australia on Friday.
The family have confirmed she died by suicide.
Prince Andrew has consistently denied any allegations against him.
Guiffre's sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, opted to share the note after learning survivors and supporters of non-profit Strength Through Strides had met with Senators at the US Capitol. The family of Virginia Giuffre has released her final handwritten letter which was a call to arms for abuse survivors. Credit: AAP
The meeting was related to Denim Day, an American protest against erroneous and destructive attitudes about sexual harassment, abuse, assault, and rape, according to Newsweek.
Roberts shared a copy of the letter on Facebook, saying: 'Hello world. 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.'
The handwritten note says:
'We are not going to go away.
'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.'
Giuffre was one of the earliest and loudest voices calling for criminal charges against Epstein and his enablers.
Other Epstein abuse survivors later credited her with giving them the courage to speak out.
She provided critical information to law enforcement that contributed to the investigation and conviction of Epstein's associate Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as other investigations by the US attorney for the Southern District of New York. Virginia Giuffre was a prominent accuser of Prince Andrew - who denies the allegations - and help to convict Jeffrey Epstein accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell. Credit: Seven
'It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,' her family told NBC News on Friday.
'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.'
Raised primarily in Florida, Giuffre had a troubled childhood.
She said she was abused by a family friend, triggering a downward spiral that led to her living on the streets for a time as a teenager.
She was attempting to rebuild her life when she met Maxwell, Epstein's close confidante. Maxwell groomed her to be sexually abused by Epstein, and that abuse continued from 1999 to 2002, according to Giuffre.
Giuffre also alleged that Epstein trafficked her to his powerful friends, including Prince Andrew and French modelling agent Jean-Luc Brunel.
Epstein, a wealthy financier, died by suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Maxwell, a former British socialite, was found guilty on five counts of sex trafficking in 2021 for her role in recruiting young girls to be abused by Epstein.
Giuffre filed a federal lawsuit against Andrew in 2021, alleging that he sexually abused her when she was 17.
Andrew, who stepped back from his duties as an active royal as controversy related to Epstein swirled around him, agreed to settle the case for an undisclosed amount in 2022. He has denied having sex with her.
Brunel, who headed several modelling agencies, was charged with sexual harassment and the rape of at least one minor in December 2020. He denied wrongdoing and died by suicide in his jail cell in February 2022.
— With AAP
If you need help in a crisis, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. For further information about depression contact beyondblue on 1300224636 or talk to your GP, local health professional or someone you trust.
If you or someone you know is impacted by sexual assault, domestic or family violence, call 1800RESPECT on 1800 737 732 or visit 1800RESPECT.org.au.
In an emergency, call 000.
Advice and counselling for men concerned about their use of family violence: Men's Referral Service, 1300 766 491.
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