Virginia Giuffre

{{short description|Advocate for sex trafficking victims (born 1983)}}

{{pp|small=yes}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}

{{Infobox person

| image =

| caption =

| birth_name = Virginia Louise Roberts

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1983|8|9}}

| birth_place = Sacramento, California, U.S.

| death_date =

| death_place =

| citizenship = {{hlist|United States|Australia}}

| occupation =

| organization = Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR), formerly known as Victims Refuse Silence

| known_for = Advocate of justice for sex trafficking survivors

| spouse = {{marriage|Robert Giuffre|2002|2025|end=sep}}

| children = 3

| website = {{URL|speakoutactreclaim.org}}

}}

Virginia Louise Giuffre ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|dʒ|uː|f|ɹ|eɪ|}} {{respell|JOO|fray}}; née Roberts; born August 9, 1983) is an American-Australian{{Cite web |last=McNeill |first=Heather |date=December 15, 2020 |title=Virginia Giuffre, outspoken survivor of Jeffery Epstein, moves into beachside Perth home |url=https://www.watoday.com.au/national/western-australia/virginia-giuffre-outspoken-survivor-of-jeffery-epstein-moves-into-beachside-perth-home-20201215-p56no4.html |access-date=March 26, 2021 |website=WAtoday |language=en |quote=Virginia Roberts Giuffre, an outspoken Australian survivor...}} alleged victim of child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, who offers support as a campaigner to victims of sex trafficking. Giuffre created Victims Refuse Silence, a non-profit organisation in the United States, in 2015,{{Cite news |last=Crawley |first=Peter |date=2 December 2019 |title=Virginia Giuffre's heartbreaking, vivid account of being told to have sex with Prince Andrew |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio-web/virginia-giuffre-s-heartbreaking-vivid-account-of-being-told-to-have-sex-with-prince-andrew-1.4102481 |access-date=January 23, 2020 |newspaper=The Irish Times}}{{Cite web |last1=Tigas |first1=Mike |last2=Wei |first2=Sisi |last3=Schwencke |first3=Ken |last4=Roberts |first4=Brandon |last5=Glassford |first5=Alec |date=May 9, 2013 |title=Victims Refuse Silence Inc - Nonprofit Explorer |url=https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/472627774 |access-date=January 25, 2020 |website=ProPublica}} which was relaunched under the name Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR) in November 2021. She has given a detailed account to many American and British reporters about her experiences of being trafficked by Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell.{{Cite web |last1=Chappell |first1=Bill |last2=Neuman |first2=Scott |date=July 31, 2020 |title=Judge Releases Trove Of Sealed Records Related To Lawsuit Against Ghislaine Maxwell |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/07/31/896627505/judge-releases-trove-of-sealed-records-related-to-case-against-ghislaine-maxwell |access-date=August 2, 2020 |website=NPR |language=en}}{{Cite web |last1=Wieder |first1=Ben |last2=Hall |first2=Kevin G. |date=July 31, 2020 |title=Judge rips into Ghislaine Maxwell as sealed Jeffrey Epstein documents begin to emerge |url=https://www.tampabay.com/news/breaking-news/2020/07/31/judge-rips-into-ghislaine-maxwell-as-sealed-jeffrey-epstein-documents-begin-to-emerge/ |access-date=August 2, 2020 |website=Tampa Bay Times |language=en}}

Giuffre has pursued criminal and civil actions against Epstein and Maxwell, and has appealed directly to the public for justice and awareness.{{Cite news |date=December 2, 2019 |title=Prince Andrew accuser asks public to 'stand beside her' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50607705 |access-date=December 7, 2019 |publisher=BBC News}} She sued Maxwell for defamation in 2015, and the case was settled in Giuffre's favor for an undisclosed sum in 2017.{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Julie K. |date=March 6, 2019 |title=Court weighs unsealing records that could reveal new details of Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/article227184299.html |access-date=January 24, 2020 |work=Miami Herald}} On July 2, 2019, the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ordered the unsealing of documents from the earlier civil suit by Giuffre against Maxwell.{{Cite news |last=Naham |first=Matt |date=July 3, 2019 |title=In Major Development, Court Orders Unsealing of Docs Related to Alleged Epstein Sex Trafficking Ring |url=https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/in-major-development-court-orders-unsealing-of-docs-related-to-alleged-epstein-sex-trafficking-ring/ |access-date=August 10, 2019 |work=Law and Crime}} The first batch of documents from Giuffre's suit were released to the public on August 9, 2019,{{Cite magazine |last=Sherman |first=Gabriel |date=August 9, 2019 |title=Powerful Men, Disturbing New Details in Unsealed Epstein Documents |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/08/new-details-in-unsealed-jeffrey-epstein-documents |access-date=August 10, 2019 |magazine=Vanity Fair}} further implicating Epstein, Maxwell, and a number of their associates. The following day, Epstein was found dead in his Manhattan prison cell.{{Cite news |last1=Zapotosky |first1=Matt |last2=Barrett |first2=Devlin |last3=Merle |first3=Renae |last4=Leonnig |first4=Carol D. |date=August 10, 2019 |title=Jeffrey Epstein dead after apparent suicide in New York jail |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/jeffrey-epstein-kills-himself-in-jail-according-to-media-reports/2019/08/10/a3d48862-bb73-11e9-b3b4-2bb69e8c4e39_story.html |access-date=August 10, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

In an October 2019 interview for BBC's Panorama, aired on December 2, Giuffre described her alleged experiences of being sex trafficked by Epstein for Britain's Prince Andrew, which helped shift public opinion against the prince.{{Cite web |last=Martin |first=Guy |date=3 December 2019 |title=Prince Andrew's Public Relations War With Virginia Roberts Giuffre: Her Direct Appeal To Britain Harries His Retreat |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/guymartin/2019/12/03/prince-andrews-public-relations-war-with-virginia-roberts-giuffre-her-direct-appeal-to-britain-moves-his-friendship-with-ghislaine-maxwell-into-the-spotlight/ |access-date=January 23, 2020 |website=Forbes}} She subsequently sued the Prince in civil court in New York. The suit was settled in February 2022 with Prince Andrew paying an undisclosed amount to Giuffre and making a substantial donation to her charity.

Early life

Virginia Giuffre was born Virginia Louise Roberts in Sacramento, California, on August 9, 1983, to parents Sky and Lynn Roberts.{{Cite news |last1=Brown |first1=Julie K. |last2=Blaskey |first2=Sarah |date=August 9, 2019 |title=Huge cache of records details how Jeffrey Epstein and madam lured girls into depraved world |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article233704797.html |access-date=January 23, 2020 |work=Miami Herald}}{{Cite web |last=Bicks |first=Emily |date=September 20, 2019 |title=Virginia Roberts Giuffre: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know |url=https://heavy.com/news/2019/09/virginia-roberts-giuffre/ |access-date=January 22, 2020 |website=Heavy.com}} The family relocated to Loxahatchee in Palm Beach County, Florida, when she was four years old. Giuffre has a younger brother, Sky. It was reported that she had come from a "troubled home" and, from the age of seven, was molested by a close family friend. "I was just so mentally scarred already at such a young age, and I ran away from that", she said on Panorama in 2019.{{Cite web |date=13 January 2022 |title=Virginia Giuffre: What we know about Prince Andrew's accuser |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-59974220 |access-date=14 January 2022 |website=BBC}} Giuffre told the Miami Herald that she went from being in "an abusive situation, to being a runaway, to living in foster homes".{{Cite web |last=Schwiegershausen |first=Erica |date=July 19, 2019 |title=Will We Ever Know How Many Girls Jeffrey Epstein Abused? |url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/07/how-many-jeffrey-epstein-victims-are-there.html |access-date=January 27, 2020 |website=The Cut}} She lived on the streets at age 14, where she says she found only, "hunger and pain and [more] abuse". Later she was abused by a 65-year-old sex trafficker, Ron Eppinger, in Miami.{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Julie K. |date=November 28, 2018 |title=Even from jail, sex abuser manipulated the system. His victims were kept in the dark |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article219494920.html |access-date=February 7, 2020 |work=Miami Herald}} Giuffre lived with Eppinger for approximately 6 months. Eppinger reportedly ran a front business for international sex trafficking known as the modeling agency "Perfect 10".{{Cite book |last1=Howard |first1=Dylan |title=Epstein: Dead Men Tell No Tales |last2=Cronin |first2=Melissa |last3=Robertson |first3=James |publisher=Simon & Schuster |year=2019 |isbn=9781510758230 |chapter=Chapter 7}} He was raided by the FBI and later pleaded guilty to charges of alien smuggling for prostitution, interstate travel for prostitution, and money laundering.

At the age of 14, Giuffre reunited with her father and returned to live with him. Her father worked as a maintenance manager at the Mar-a-Lago property owned by Donald Trump, and also helped Giuffre obtain a job there.{{Cite magazine |last=Mansoor |first=Sanya |date=2 December 2019 |title='Only One of Us Is Telling the Truth.' The Biggest Moments From Prince Andrew Accuser Virginia Giuffre's BBC Interview |url=https://time.com/5742379/virginia-giuffre-prince-andrew-bbc-interview/ |access-date=December 13, 2019 |magazine=Time}}

Association with Epstein (2000–2002)

In mid-2000,{{Cite magazine |last=Bruck |first=Connie |title=Alan Dershowitz, Devil's Advocate |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/08/05/alan-dershowitz-devils-advocate |access-date=January 31, 2020 |magazine=The New Yorker}} Giuffre met Ghislaine Maxwell when working as a spa attendant at Donald Trump's private Mar-a-Lago club while reading a book about massage therapy.{{Cite web |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Sarah |last2=Schecter |first2=Anna |last3=Damberg |first3=Chelsea |last4=Schapiro |first4=Rich |date=September 20, 2019 |title=How a British teen model was lured into Jeffrey Epstein's web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/how-british-teen-model-was-lured-jeffrey-epstein-s-web-n1056901 |access-date=January 24, 2020 |website=NBC News}} Maxwell, a British socialite and daughter of the late media tycoon Robert Maxwell, approached Giuffre, noted the book that she was reading, inquired about her interest in massage, and offered her a potential job working for Epstein as a traveling masseuse with the assurance that no experience was necessary. When Giuffre arrived at Epstein's Palm Beach home, she says he was naked lying down and Maxwell told her how to massage him. "They seemed like nice people so I trusted them, and I told them I'd had a really hard time in my life up until then—I'd been a runaway, I'd been sexually abused, physically abused. ... That was the worst thing I could have told them because now they knew how vulnerable I was", Giuffre stated. Giuffre has stated that after Maxwell introduced her to Jeffrey Epstein, the two quickly began grooming her to provide sexual services under the guise that she was to be trained as a professional massage therapist.{{Cite web |last1=Michot |first1=Emily |last2=Brown |first2=Julie K. |date=November 26, 2018 |title=How teen runaway Virginia Roberts became one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article222094725.html |access-date=February 5, 2020 |website=Miami Herald}}

Between 2000 and 2002, Giuffre was closely associated with Epstein and Maxwell, traveling between Epstein's residences in Palm Beach and Manhattan (at the Herbert N. Straus House), with additional trips to Epstein's Zorro ranch in New Mexico and private island Little Saint James.{{Cite web |last=Lodi |first=Marie |date=July 9, 2019 |title=What We Know About Jeffrey Epstein's Private Jet the 'Lolita Express' |url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-lolita-express.html |access-date=February 5, 2020 |website=The Cut}} In the Miami Herald{{'}}s investigative journalism series "Perversion of Justice", Giuffre describes her experiences of being trafficked by Epstein to provide massages and sexual services for him and a number of his business associates over a two-and-a-half-year period.{{Cite news |last1=Peterson |first1=Brittany |last2=Michot |first2=Emily |date=December 18, 2019 |title=Perversion of Justice: A Miami Herald investigation |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article238516668.html |access-date=February 5, 2020 |work=Miami Herald}} In her interview with the BBC, Giuffre said she was "passed around like a platter of fruit" to Epstein's powerful associates, and taken round the world on private jets.

Of the instance in March 2001 that Giuffre was allegedly trafficked to Prince Andrew, she stated in an interview that it was a "wicked" and "really scary time" in her life and that she "couldn't comprehend how in the highest level of the government powerful people were allowing this to happen. Not just allowing but participating in it".{{Cite news |last=Graham |first=Ben |date=December 3, 2019 |title=Story behind iconic Prince Andrew photo with Virginia Giuffre |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=12290666 |access-date=February 3, 2020 |work=The New Zealand Herald |issn=1170-0777}} After visiting a nightclub, Giuffre says Maxwell told her that she, "had to do for Andrew what I do for Jeffrey". In court documents from a civil suit that were released from seal in 2019, Giuffre named several others that she claims Epstein and Maxwell instructed her to have sex with, including hedge fund manager Glenn Dubin, attorney Alan Dershowitz, politician Bill Richardson, the late MIT scientist Marvin Minsky, lawyer George J. Mitchell, and MC2 modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel.{{Cite web |last=Musgrave |first=Jane |title=Jeffrey Epstein victim: He farmed me out to ex-senator, governor for sex |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20190809/jeffrey-epstein-victim-he-farmed-me-out-to-ex-senator-governor-for-sex |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190810032857/https://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/20190809/jeffrey-epstein-victim-he-farmed-me-out-to-ex-senator-governor-for-sex |archive-date=August 10, 2019 |access-date=February 25, 2020 |website=The Palm Beach Post |language=en}}{{Cite magazine |last=Sherman |first=Gabriel |date=August 9, 2019 |title=Powerful Men, Disturbing New Details in Unsealed Epstein Documents |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2019/08/new-details-in-unsealed-jeffrey-epstein-documents |access-date=February 25, 2020 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en}} Many of the men denied Giuffre's allegations.{{Cite web |last1=Chappell |first1=Bill |last2=Neuman |first2=Scott |date=July 31, 2020 |title=Judge Releases Trove Of Sealed Records Related To Lawsuit Against Ghislaine Maxwell |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/07/31/896627505/judge-releases-trove-of-sealed-records-related-to-case-against-ghislaine-maxwell |access-date=January 19, 2022 |publisher=NPR}}

In September 2002, at the age of 19, Giuffre flew to Thailand and attended the International Training Massage School{{Cite web |last=Collman |first=Ashley |date=9 August 2019 |title=Jeffrey Epstein's main accuser described the lavish lifestyle he gave to his alleged victims to keep them by his side |url=https://www.insider.com/epstein-accuser-virginia-giuffre-describes-lavish-lifestyle-2019-8 |access-date=January 24, 2020 |website=Insider}}{{Cite news |last=Swaine |first=Jon |date=February 7, 2015 |title=Jeffrey Epstein accuser: video exists of underage sex with powerful men |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/feb/07/jeffrey-epstein-accuser-video-footage-sex-powerful-men |access-date=January 26, 2020 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}} in Chiang Mai.{{Cite book |last1=Patterson |first1=James |title=Filthy Rich |last2=Connolly |first2=John |last3=Malloy |first3=Tim |publisher=Little Brown and Company |year=2016 |isbn=978-0-316-27405-0 |location=New York |pages=131–138, 244–249}} Maxwell provided her with tickets to travel to Thailand, and instructed her to meet with a specific Thai girl to bring her back to the United States for Epstein.{{Cite web |last=Arnold |first=Amanda |date=August 9, 2019 |title=New Disturbing Allegations of Epstein's Encounters With Underage Girls Emerge |url=https://www.thecut.com/2019/08/epstein-alleged-sexual-encounters-underage-girls.html |access-date=January 24, 2020 |website=The Cut}} While at the massage school in Thailand in 2002, she met Robert Giuffre, an Australian martial arts trainer, and the two married quickly thereafter. She contacted Epstein and informed him that she would not be returning as planned. She and her husband started a life and family in Australia, and Giuffre broke off contact with Epstein and Maxwell. For five years, Giuffre and her husband lived a quiet life in Australia with their young children.

= First contact by authorities =

In March 2005, while Giuffre was still establishing her family in Australia, the Palm Beach Police Department began investigating Epstein after a 14-year-old girl and her parents reported his behavior. The girl described being recruited by a female classmate from her high school to give Epstein a massage at his mansion in exchange for money, wherein he subsequently molested her. By October 2005, the police had a growing list of girls with similar claims of sexual abuse, statements from Epstein's butlers corroborating their claims, and a search warrant for his Palm Beach property.

Police detectives noted that the accusers all described a similar pattern where Epstein would ask them to massage him and then sexually assault them during the massage. When police searched through Epstein's trash, they found notes with the telephone numbers of the girls on them. One of the girls was called by Epstein's assistant while being questioned by police.

Giuffre relayed to the Miami Herald that she received a series of phone calls in rapid succession over three days in 2007. The first call was from Maxwell, then one day later came a call from Epstein, both of whom asked if she had spoken to authorities, followed by a third call from an FBI agent who stated that Giuffre had been identified as a victim during the first criminal case against Epstein.{{Cite news |date=December 19, 2019 |title=How Miami Herald's investigation & Jeffrey Epstein survivors helped blow up a sweetheart deal |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-u7_j6CWbCU&list=PLW6BLXAZb_to0b_PiaM6XoFY4K_jbW1MF |access-date=January 24, 2020 |work=Miami Herald |via=YouTube}} She resisted speaking at length to the FBI until she was approached again about the matter in person, this time by the Australian Federal Police, six months after being contacted by phone.{{Cite web |last=Mitchell |first=Peter |date=July 9, 2019 |title=Epstein's Aust accuser "deeply pleased" |url=https://7news.com.au/news/crime/epsteins-aust-accuser-deeply-pleased-c-206155 |access-date=January 25, 2020 |website=7NEWS.com.au}}

Photos, records and witnesses confirm large parts of Giuffre's statements about her time with Epstein.{{Cite web |last1=Caruso |first1=David B. |last2=Mustian |first2=Jim |last3=Sisak |first3=Michael R. |date=November 23, 2021 |title=Prince Andrew accusations out of case against Epstein's alleged sex fixer Maxwell |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/prince-andrew-accusations-out-of-case-against-epsteins-alleged-sex-fixer-maxwell/ |access-date=November 28, 2021 |website=The Times of Israel}}{{Cite web |last1=Caruso |first1=David B. |last2=Mustian |first2=Jim |last3=Sisak |first3=Michael R. |date=November 23, 2021 |title=Prince Andrew accusations left out of Epstein-Maxwell case |url=https://apnews.com/article/ghislaine-maxwell-entertainment-lifestyle-virginia-prince-andrew-60348f70fd605c26c26615ffc5ed5f14 |access-date=November 28, 2021 |agency=Associated Press}}

Legal proceedings

= First criminal case =

In 2006, a year before Giuffre was first contacted by authorities, the Palm Beach Police Department had a growing body of evidence against Epstein, and signed a probable cause affidavit charging him with multiple counts of unlawful sex acts with a minor. Epstein hired a team of powerful lawyers, including Alan Dershowitz, Jack Goldberger, Kenneth Starr, and Jay Lefkowitz, to serve in his defense.{{Cite web |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Sarah |last2=Schapiro |first2=Rich |date=September 21, 2019 |title=Ex-Florida police chief: Epstein case 'the worst failure of the criminal justice system' in modern times |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-florida-police-chief-epstein-case-worst-failure-criminal-justice-n1057226 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921170308/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-florida-police-chief-epstein-case-worst-failure-criminal-justice-n1057226 |archive-date=September 21, 2019 |access-date=February 2, 2020 |website=NBC News}} As the case progressed, Police Chief Michael Reiter became alarmed at the handling of the case by state prosecutors and then state attorney, Barry Krischer. On May 1, 2006, Reiter asked Krischer to remove himself from the case; when Krischer declined, Police Chief Reiter turned his evidence over to the FBI for federal prosecution.{{Cite web |last1=Musgrave |first1=Jane |last2=Pacenti |first2=John |last3=Ramadan |first3=Lulu |date=November 20, 2019 |title=Jeffrey Epstein: To the first prosecutors, Epstein's victims were prostitutes |url=https://www.palmbeachpost.com/epstein-case |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191115142205/https://www.palmbeachpost.com/epstein-case |archive-date=November 15, 2019 |access-date=February 2, 2020 |website=The Palm Beach Post}} While Reiter was initially hopeful that the FBI would thoroughly investigate and move the matter to a conclusion, in 2007, then South Florida U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta decided not to prosecute Epstein in federal court and referred the matter back to the local jurisdiction.

Lead police detective Joseph Recarey asserted that the state prosecutors were at first eager to pursue criminal action against Epstein, but that "everything took a turn" when lawyer Alan Dershowitz got involved. Krischer then decided to take the unusual action of turning Epstein's case over to a grand jury, and then presented testimony from only one girl. Epstein's legal team aggressively sought concessions and prolonged the process when negotiating a plea deal with Alex Acosta.{{Cite web |last=White |first=Ken |date=July 9, 2019 |title=The Jeffrey Epstein Case Is Like Nothing I've Seen Before |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/07/jeffrey-epstein-indictment-hes-out-luck/593512/ |access-date=February 5, 2020 |website=The Atlantic}} Acosta, who described the tactics of Epstein's lawyers as a "year-long assault on the prosecution and prosecutors", eventually agreed to sign a controversial non-prosecution agreement in 2008, which was done without informing the victims, later determined to be in violation of the Crime Victims' Rights Act.{{Cite web |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Sarah |last2=Winter |first2=Tom |last3=Welker |first3=Kristen |last4=Jackson |first4=Hallie |last5=Schapiro |first5=Rich |date=February 21, 2019 |title=Judge: Prosecutors broke law in deal with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/judge-prosecutors-broke-law-deal-sex-offender-jeffrey-epstein-n974181 |access-date=February 5, 2020 |publisher=NBC News}}

Reiter expressed that the state and federal prosecutors' handling of the Epstein case amounted to "the worst failure of the criminal justice system" in modern times.

= Crime Victims' Rights Act lawsuit (2008–2019) =

In 2008, a lawsuit (Jane Doe v. United States of America) was filed by Bradley Edwards and Paul G. Cassell that accused the U.S. Justice Department of violating the Crime Victims' Rights Act during the first criminal case against Epstein by failing to allow several of his victims to challenge his plea deal.{{Cite news |last=Meier |first=Barry |date=December 12, 2015 |title=Alan Dershowitz on the Defense (His Own) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/13/business/alan-dershowitz-on-the-defense-his-own.html |access-date=January 30, 2020 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}} Epstein sued Bradley Edwards for civil racketeering but later dropped his suit; Edwards countersued for malicious prosecution, with the result that Epstein issued a public apology to the lawyer and settled the case for an undisclosed sum in December 2018.{{Cite news |date=December 4, 2018 |title=Influential US predator in court apology |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-46446449 |access-date=February 4, 2020 |publisher=BBC News }}{{Cite web |last=Cauterucci |first=Christina |date=July 11, 2019 |title=How a Florida Lawyer Kept the Jeffrey Epstein Case Alive |url=https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2019/07/bradley-edwards-jeffrey-epstein-alexander-acosta.html |access-date=February 4, 2020 |website=Slate Magazine}} Edwards, who represents several Epstein accusers in addition to Giuffre, reportedly settled in aid of his clients, whose greatest wish was to pursue their larger objective of having their allegations heard in a federal court in order to overturn the non-prosecution agreement. Edwards stated that "They're willing to talk. They want to share their stories. This was part of their healing."

In a February 2019 ruling, District Judge Kenneth Marra determined that prosecutors had violated victims' rights as defined by the Crime Victims' Rights Act.

= Victims' civil suit =

In May 2009, Giuffre filed a lawsuit as Jane Doe 102 against Epstein and accused Maxwell of recruiting her to a life of being sexually trafficked while she was a minor. By late 2009, dozens of Epstein's victims had filed civil lawsuits against him. All suits were settled for undisclosed amounts. In January 2022, unsealed documents revealed that the settlement amount of the 2009 case, entitled Jane Doe No. 102 vs. Jeffrey Epstein, was $500,000 ({{Inflation|US|500000|2009|r=-3|fmt=eq}}) and other unspecified "valuable consideration."{{Cite news |last=Jacobson |first=Don |date=3 January 2022 |title=Document: Prince Andrew accuser settled suit against Epstein for $500K |url=https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2022/01/03/Prince-Andrew-giuffre-settled-Epstein-lawsuit/2651641246684/ |access-date=4 January 2022 |work=UPI}}

= Decision to speak out publicly =

File:Blue Morpho Wings Open (33456291176).jpg

Giuffre credited the birth of her daughter on January 7, 2010, as the date she decided to come forward publicly and begin speaking out about her experiences of sexual abuse and trafficking, despite the risks.{{Cite news |last=Waller |first=Allyson |date=July 13, 2019 |title=Years later, victims recount impact of Jeffrey Epstein abuse |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article232636792.html |access-date=January 25, 2020 |work=Miami Herald}}{{Cite web |last=Kahn |first=Mattie |date=December 10, 2019 |title='This Is Not Our Shame': 5 Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's Abuse Speak Out |url=https://www.glamour.com/story/jeffrey-epstein-survivors-roundtable |access-date=January 25, 2020 |website=Glamour}} Vanity Fair stated that Giuffre's story was first publicized in March 2011 by the Mail on Sunday; the coverage included the photo showing Prince Andrew with his arm around her at Maxwell's house in Belgravia, London.{{Cite web |last=Klein |first=Edward |date=August 2011 |title=The Trouble with Andrew |url=https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/share/ac60f552-4163-4d39-a36b-d2014fe20062 |access-date=December 7, 2019 |website=archive.vanityfair.com |publisher=Vanity Fair}} FBI agents again made contact with Giuffre, this time at the US consulate in Sydney in 2011, soon after she went public with allegations against Epstein.

In December 2014, Giuffre set up the framework for her organization Victims Refuse Silence.{{Cite web |last=Crime and Justice News |date=July 30, 2019 |title=Alan Dershowitz Fighting Lawsuit by Epstein Victim |url=https://thecrimereport.org/2019/07/30/alan-dershowitz-fighting-lawsuit-by-epstein-victim/ |access-date=February 6, 2020 |website=The Crime Report |language=en-US |archive-date=February 6, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200206021040/https://thecrimereport.org/2019/07/30/alan-dershowitz-fighting-lawsuit-by-epstein-victim/ |url-status=dead }}{{Cite book |last=Sarnoff |first=Conchita |title=TrafficKing: The Jeffrey Epstein Case |publisher=Post Hill Press |year=2020 |isbn=9781642935325 |location=New York |chapter=Chapters 5-6}} It was registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization in 2015. The objective of Victims Refuse Silence is to "help survivors surmount the shame, silence, and intimidation typically experienced by victims of sexual abuse, and to help others to escape becoming victims of sex trafficking".{{Cite web |date=April 16, 2019 |title=Case 1:19-cv-03377, Giuffre v. Dershowitz |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/guiffre-dershowitz.pdf |access-date=February 5, 2020 |website=Courthouse News}} For her organization, Giuffre has used imagery of a blue Morpho butterfly to symbolize the transformation and empowerment that occurs when a victim becomes a survivor. Blue is the international color of human trafficking awareness.{{Cite web |date=January 10, 2020 |title=Raise Awareness of Human Trafficking on January 11 with #WearBlueDay |url=https://www.dhs.gov/news/2020/01/10/raise-awareness-human-trafficking-january-11-wearblueday |access-date=February 7, 2020 |website=Department of Homeland Security |quote=encourages the public to wear blue – the international color of human trafficking awareness}} The United States has designated January as Human Trafficking Awareness Month with January 11 listed as National Wear Blue Day.{{Cite web |last=Hogan |first=Kendall |date=January 11, 2020 |title=Gov. Abbott declares January Human Trafficking Prevention Month |url=https://www.kbtx.com/content/news/Gov-Abbott-declares-January-Human-Trafficking-Prevention-Month-566896021.html |access-date=February 7, 2020 |website=www.kbtx.com}} Giuffre's charity was relaunched in November 2021 under the name Speak Out, Act, Reclaim (SOAR).{{Cite web |last=Finnis |first=Alex |date=February 16, 2022 |title=What is Virginia Giuffre's charity? When her non-profit Soar launched and Prince Andrew settlement explained |url=https://inews.co.uk/news/virginia-giuffre-charity-soar-what-non-profit-victims-refuse-silence-prince-andrew-settlement-explained-1464469 |access-date=February 19, 2022 |website=i}}

= Prince Andrew allegations =

In a December 2014 Florida court filing, intended for inclusion in the 2008 Crime Victims' Rights Act lawsuit, Giuffre described being trafficked to Prince Andrew, Duke of York, at least three times when she was 17 in 2001 for rape.{{Cite news |date=September 21, 2019 |title=Prince Andrew 'was an abuser' - Epstein accuser |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49774539 |access-date=February 3, 2020 |publisher=BBC News }}{{Cite magazine |last=Gibson |first=Megan |date=January 6, 2015 |title=U.S. Lawyer Sues in Prince Andrew Sex Claims Case |url=https://time.com/3655417/alan-dershowitz-prince-andrew-virginia-roberts/ |access-date=January 9, 2015 |magazine=Time}} She claims that Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell took her to Tramp nightclub in London, where she met and danced with Andrew and that later that night, while en route to Maxwell's Belgravia residence, Maxwell instructed Giuffre to "do for (Prince Andrew) what you do for Epstein".{{Cite web |last1=Fitzpatrick |first1=Sarah |last2=Schapiro |first2=Rich |date=January 27, 2020 |title=Prince Andrew has provided 'zero cooperation' in Epstein probe |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/prince-andrew-has-provided-zero-cooperation-epstein-probe-n1123951 |access-date=February 3, 2020 |publisher=NBC News}} She alleged Epstein paid her $15,000 after she had sex with the Duke in London.{{Cite web |date=15 November 2019 |title=Prince Andrew again denies having sex with Epstein victim |url=https://apnews.com/3825458fbca548cea862f09e79f45534 |access-date=February 4, 2020 |website=Associated Press}}

A photo that shows Giuffre, Prince Andrew and Maxwell in Ghislaine's apartment has been widely circulated since 2011. Prince Andrew's ten-year role as a United Kingdom trade envoy was terminated in July 2011, and he reportedly cut all ties with Epstein.{{Cite news |date=July 21, 2011 |title=Prince Andrew: Envoy career plagued with controversy |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12663378 |access-date=June 12, 2013 |publisher=BBC News }}{{Cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Paul |last2=Swaine |first2=Jon |date=January 10, 2015 |title=Jeffrey Epstein: inside the decade of scandal entangling Prince Andrew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jan/10/jeffrey-epstein-decade-scandal-prince-andrew |access-date=January 22, 2016 |work=The Guardian |location=London}} When asked in 2011 whether Prince Andrew would have information, she told her lawyers: "Yes, he would know a lot of the truth." "Again, I don't know how much he would be able to help you with, but seeing he's in a lot of trouble himself these days, I think he might," she added. "So, I think he may be valuable. I'm not too sure of him."{{Cite web |last=Klasfield |first=Adam |date=July 30, 2020 |title=Newly Released Records in Ghislaine Maxwell Case Reveal Correspondence With Jeffrey Epstein |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/newly-released-records-in-ghislaine-maxwell-case-reveal-correspondence-with-jeffrey-epstein/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200731044025/https://www.courthousenews.com/newly-released-records-in-ghislaine-maxwell-case-reveal-correspondence-with-jeffrey-epstein/ |archive-date=July 31, 2020 |access-date=September 27, 2021 |website=Courthouse News}}

The second sexual encounter allegedly happened in Epstein's New York mansion.{{Cite news |date=24 August 2019 |title=Prince Andrew's links to Jeffrey Epstein |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49411215 |access-date=30 August 2019 |publisher=BBC}} In court documents, Giuffre claimed that the third encounter with Prince Andrew was an orgy on Little Saint James that involved her, several underage girls from Eastern Europe, the Prince, and Jeffrey Epstein himself.

In 2015, spokespersons for the British royal family stated that "any suggestion of impropriety with underage minors is categorically untrue", later repeating the denials.{{Cite news |last1=Booth |first1=Robert |last2=Lewis |first2=Paul |date=January 4, 2015 |title=Palace takes unusual step to deny Prince Andrew underage sex claims |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/04/prince-andrew-denies-underage-sex-claims-buckingham-palace |access-date=January 15, 2015 |work=The Guardian |location=London}} Requests from Giuffre's lawyers for a statement under oath from the Duke about the allegations were returned unanswered.{{Cite news |date=January 22, 2015 |title=Prince Andrew set for first public event since sex claim |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-30928664 |access-date=April 19, 2016 |publisher=BBC News }}

In August 2021, Giuffre started a New York lawsuit against Prince Andrew, accusing him of "sexual assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress".{{Cite web |last=Walters |first=Joanna |date=August 9, 2021 |title=Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre sues Prince Andrew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2021/aug/09/virginia-giuffre-sues-prince-andrew-jeffrey-epstein |access-date=August 9, 2021 |website=The Guardian }} Giuffre's lawsuit, which seeks unspecified damages, was brought before the New York federal judge Lewis A. Kaplan.{{Cite news |last=Linton |first=Caroline |date=January 1, 2022 |title=Judge says Prince Andrew can't stop lawsuit from accuser with residency claim |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/prince-andrew-lawsuit-virginia-roberts-giuffre-judge-new-york/ |access-date=January 1, 2022 |agency=CBS News}}

In January 2022 Giuffre's former boyfriend, Anthony Figueroa, said on Good Morning Britain that Giuffre told him Epstein would take her to meet Prince Andrew. Figueroa alleged the meeting had taken place in London, before which "she was really nervous and scared because she didn't know how to react to it."{{Cite news |last1=Sheets |first1=Megan |last2=Muzaffar |first2=Maroosha |last3=Sarkar |first3=Alisha Rahaman |last4=Kingsley |first4=Thomas |date=January 5, 2022 |title=Prince Andrew hearing – live: Duke in 'difficult situation' after 'horrible day' in court as decision looms |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-epstein-news-latest-b1986928.html |access-date=January 13, 2022 |work=The Independent}} In a court filing, Prince Andrew's lawyers had previously referred to a statement by Figueroa's sister, Crystal Figueroa, who alleged that in her bid to find victims for Epstein, Giuffre had asked her "Do you know any girls who are kind of slutty?"{{Cite web |last=Shoaib |first=Alia |date=October 31, 2021 |title=Prince Andrew's attorneys repeat claims that Virginia Roberts Giuffre wanted to recruit 'slutty' girls for Epstein to abuse as they up the ante in legal battle |url=https://www.insider.com/prince-andrew-virginia-roberts-giuffre-recruited-slutty-girls-for-epstein-2021-10 |access-date=January 15, 2022 |website=Insider}}

In the same month, Carolyn Andriano, who as a 14-year-old was introduced by Giuffre to Ghislaine Maxwell and Jeffrey Epstein and was a prosecution witness in the trial of Maxwell, claimed in an interview that then 17-year-old Giuffre told her in 2001 that she had slept with Prince Andrew. Andriano stated, "And she [Giuffre] said, 'I got to sleep with him'. She didn't seem upset about it. She thought it was pretty cool."{{Cite web |last=Bartholomew |first=Jem |date=January 8, 2022 |title=Virginia Giuffre told me in 2001 she slept with Prince Andrew, witness says |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/08/virginia-giuffre-told-me-in-2001-she-slept-with-prince-andrew-witness-says |access-date=January 13, 2022 |website=The Guardian }} Andriano testified that she was recruited by Giuffre at 14 and trained to give sexual massages: "At 14 years old, I was big breasted and I definitely could pass for 21 when I was made up. I did my own make-up but Virginia gave me clothes. She gave me these really tight skimpy shorts with a spaghetti strap top with all my cleavage hanging out. She just said whatever you do, don't say your age. And I didn't even ask why. I went along with it."{{Cite web |last=Gadher |first=Dipesh |date=February 6, 2022 |title=Andrew throws the legal dice with bid to cast Giuffre as a sex trafficker |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/andrew-throws-the-legal-dice-with-bid-to-cast-giuffre-as-a-sex-trafficker-jl03dpv5p |access-date=January 26, 2023 |website=The Times}}

In February 2022, Prince Andrew agreed to an out-of-court settlement by paying an undisclosed sum of money.{{Cite news |last1=Cursino |first1=Malu |last2=Cooney |first2=Christy |date=February 15, 2022 |title=Prince Andrew: Questions over payout after settlement with Virginia Giuffre |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-60397947 |work=BBC News }}

In October 2022, Ghislaine Maxwell was interviewed by a documentary filmmaker while serving her sentence in prison, and stated that she now believed the photograph showing her together with Andrew and Virginia Giuffre was not "a true image", and added that in an email to her lawyer in 2015 she was trying to confirm that she recognised her own house, but the whole image cannot be authentic as "the original has never been produced".{{Cite web |last=Halliday |first=Josh |date=October 16, 2022 |title=Ghislaine Maxwell says she feels bad for 'dear friend' Prince Andrew |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/oct/16/ghislaine-maxwell-says-she-feels-bad-for-dear-friend-prince-andrew |access-date=October 17, 2022 |website=The Guardian }} In another interview from prison, she said the photo was "a fake ... there's never been an original and further there is no photograph. I've only ever seen a photocopy of it."{{Cite web |last=Weaver |first=Matthew |date=January 22, 2023 |title=Ghislaine Maxwell calls Prince Andrew photo with Virginia Giuffre 'a fake' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/jan/22/ghislaine-maxwell-prince-andrew-photo-virginia-giuffre-epstein |access-date=January 22, 2023 |website=The Guardian }} Following the allegations, The Mail on Sunday, which first published the photograph in 2011, was contacted by photographer Michael Thomas who took 39 copies of the image, both front and back. The back of the photo has a time stamp showing it was developed on March 13, 2001 – three days after Andrew allegedly engaged in sexual activity with Giuffre – and it was printed at a one-hour photo lab at Walgreens in Florida, near Giuffre's former home.{{Cite web |last=Roberts |first=Lizzie |date=January 28, 2023 |title=Prince Andrew photo with Virginia Roberts Giuffre is real, reports claim |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/01/28/prince-andrew-photo-virginia-roberts-giuffre-real-reports-claim/ |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=The Telegraph}}

Giuffre has claimed that on the first night she allegedly had sex with Andrew they got into the bath where "he started licking my toes, between my toes, the arches of my feet" before they went into the bedroom and had sex.{{Cite web |last1=Mendick |first1=Robert |last2=Ward |first2=Victoria |date=January 27, 2023 |title=Exclusive: The photo that 'clears Prince Andrew' over bath sex |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/royal-family/2023/01/27/photo-clears-duke-york-bath-sex/ |access-date=January 28, 2023 |website=The Telegraph}} She repeated these claims in a 2019 BBC interview. She described the bathroom in her unpublished memoir, stating "It was a beige marble tiled floor with a porcelain Victorian-style bathtub in the middle of the room." In January 2023, Ghislaine Maxwell's brother Ian Maxwell disputed the claims by releasing photos showing his acquaintances sitting in the bathtub where the incident allegedly took place. The photos were originally reserved as a defense for Ghislaine Maxwell's legal team if Giuffre was asked to testify. Ian Maxwell believed the photos "show conclusively that the bath is too small for any sort of sex frolicking. There is no 'Victorian bath', as Giuffre has claimed, which is proved both by the attached plan of the bathroom and the photos themselves."

= Civil cases =

== Virginia Roberts affidavit (2014) ==

Giuffre filed court papers in Florida in January 2015, stating that Epstein trafficked her to Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz.{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Julie K. |date=November 28, 2018 |title=For years, Jeffrey Epstein abused teen girls, police say. A timeline of his case |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article221404845.html |access-date=January 26, 2020 |work=Miami Herald}} In a sworn affidavit, she claims Maxwell worked as Epstein's madam. In April 2015, a federal judge ruled that Giuffre could not join the federal Crime Victims' Rights Act lawsuit, and her affidavit was stricken from the case.

== ''Virginia Giuffre v. Ghislaine Maxwell'' (2015) ==

As a result of Giuffre's allegations and Maxwell's comments about them, Giuffre sued Maxwell for defamation in federal court in New York in September 2015. After much legal confrontation, the case was settled under seal in June 2017 with Maxwell reportedly paying Giuffre "millions".{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Julie K. |date=March 1, 2019 |title=Alan Dershowitz suggests curbing press access to hearing on Jeffrey Epstein sex abuse |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article226922729.html |access-date=March 1, 2019 |work=Miami Herald}}

==''Virginia Giuffre v. Alan Dershowitz'' (2019)==

In April 2019, Giuffre filed a federal civil defamation lawsuit against Alan Dershowitz in New York.{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Julie K. |date=April 16, 2019 |title=New Jeffrey Epstein accuser goes public; defamation lawsuit targets Dershowitz |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/article229277874.html |access-date=January 26, 2020 |work=Miami Herald}}

Giuffre was first represented by David Boies but Dershowitz had him removed from the case as he claimed that members of the law firm could be called to witness in the trial. She was subsequently represented by lawyer Charles Cooper. Boies filed a separate defamation lawsuit against Dershowitz for implying that Boies had pressured Giuffre into making false claims.{{Cite web |last=Shamsian |first=Jakob |date=8 November 2019 |title=Alan Dershowitz is facing another lawsuit over his denials that he had sex with one of Jeffrey Epstein's victims |url=https://www.insider.com/david-boies-alan-dershowitz-defamation-lawsuit-jeffrey-epstein-virginia-giuffre-2019-11 |access-date=December 7, 2019 |website=insider.com |publisher=insider}}

All claims were dismissed in November 2022, after attorneys for Giuffre, Boies, and Dershowitz filed joint stipulations, and no fees were awarded to either side. Giuffre stated she may have been mistaken in identifying Dershowitz.

==''Virginia Giuffre v. Prince Andrew'' (2021)==

{{main|Virginia Giuffre v. Prince Andrew}}

On August 9, 2021, Giuffre filed a civil lawsuit against Britain's Prince Andrew in New York alleging that she was forced to have several sexual encounters with the prince in the early 2000s after being trafficked by Epstein when she was 16 and 17 years old.{{Cite web |last=Laird |first=Rox |date=August 9, 2021 |title=Principal Epstein accuser sues Prince Andrew, claiming underage sex abuse |url=https://www.courthousenews.com/prince-phillip-accused-of-sexually-abusing-girl-when-she-was-17/ |access-date=September 11, 2021 |website=Courthouse News Service}}{{Cite news |last=Jacobs |first=Shayna |date=August 10, 2021 |title=Woman who says she was groomed and abused by Jeffrey Epstein sues Britain's Prince Andrew |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/woman-who-says-she-was-groomed-and-abused-by-jeffrey-epstein-sues-britains-prince-andrew/2021/08/09/77805b96-f975-11eb-9c0e-97e29906a970_story.html |access-date=August 12, 2021 |newspaper=Washington Post}} Andrew has denied Giuffre's claims. On January 12, 2022, Judge Lewis A. Kaplan rejected Andrew's attempts to dismiss the case, allowing the sexual abuse lawsuit to proceed.{{Cite web |last=Bekiempis |first=Victoria |date=January 12, 2022 |title=Prince Andrew rejected in effort to get US sexual abuse case dismissed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2022/jan/12/prince-andrew-case-proceed-latest-ruling-virginia-giuffre |access-date=January 12, 2022 |website=The Guardian }}{{Cite web |date=January 12, 2022 |title=Prince Andrew to face civil sex assault case after US ruling |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-59871514 |access-date=January 12, 2022 |website=BBC}} On February 15, 2022, it was announced that both parties had reached an out-of-court settlement, which includes the Prince making a substantial donation to Giuffre's charity.{{Cite web |last=Weiser |first=Benjamin |date=February 15, 2022 |title=Prince Andrew Settles Sexual Abuse Lawsuit With Virginia Giuffre |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/nyregion/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-settlement.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220215160848/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/15/nyregion/prince-andrew-virginia-giuffre-settlement.html |archive-date=2022-02-15 |access-date=February 15, 2022 |website=New York Times}}{{Cite web |date=February 15, 2022 |title=Prince Andrew settles US civil sex assault case |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-60393843 |access-date=February 15, 2022 |website=BBC News }}

==''Rina Oh v. Virginia Giuffre'' (2021)==

Rina Oh sued Giuffre for defamation in October 2021. Giuffre accused Oh of helping traffick girls for Epstein, while Oh maintains that she was a victim and that she has never helped traffickers.{{Cite web |last=Graziosi |first=Graig |date=2021-10-30 |title=Epstein accuser sues fellow victim for defamation |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/epstein-virginia-giuffre-rina-oh-lawsuit-b1948384.html |access-date=2021-11-20 |website=The Independent |language=en}} In 2022 in court documents Oh accused Giuffre of touching her sexually without consent while Epstein watched, but Giuffre denied the claim. She alleged Oh slashed her during sado masochistic games done for Epstein, but Oh denied this.{{Cite web |last=Collman |first=Ashley |date=June 7, 2022 |title=Rina Oh alleges Virginia Giuffre sexually assaulted her during 'horror' encounter with Jeffrey Epstein |url=https://www.insider.com/rina-oh-accuses-epstein-victim-virginia-giuffre-of-sexual-assault-2022-6 |access-date=June 11, 2022 |website=Insider}} Oh also alleges that Guiffre procured and abused minors.{{Cite web |last=Kaplan |first=Michael |date=June 8, 2022 |title=Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre facing 'sexual assault' allegation from Rina Oh in lawsuit |url=https://nypost.com/2022/06/08/epstein-accuser-virginia-giuffre-facing-sexual-assault-allegation-from-rina-oh-in-suit/ |access-date=June 11, 2022 |website=New York Post}}{{Cite web |date=June 10, 2022 |title=Prince Andrew accuser allegedly Virginia Giuffre sexually assaults a woman |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/964940-prince-andrew-accuser-allegedly-sexually-assaults-a-women |access-date=June 11, 2022 |website=The News International}}

=Second criminal case=

Jeffrey Epstein was arrested on July 6, 2019, at Teterboro Airport in New Jersey{{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Julie K. |date=July 6, 2019 |title=Jeffrey Epstein arrested on sex trafficking charges |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article232374872.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707032426/https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article232374872.html |archive-date=July 7, 2019 |access-date=July 7, 2019 |work=Miami Herald}} and charged with sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy by prosecutors with the Public Corruption Unit of the Southern District of New York{{Cite web |last1=Winter |first1=Tom |last2=Ortiz |first2=Erik |date=July 8, 2019 |title=Jeffrey Epstein charged with sex trafficking victims as young as 14 |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/jeffrey-epstein-charged-sex-trafficking-molesting-underage-girls-n1027356 |access-date=February 6, 2020 |publisher=NBC News}} In the indictment, Epstein was accused of soliciting massages from underage girls where the activities became increasingly sexual and then of enlisting the girls to recruit other underage victims for pay. U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York appealed for other victims of Epstein to come forward. The federal indictment also listed the key role of Epstein's paid "employees and associates" responsible for scheduling victims.

One month after his arrest, Epstein was found dead on August 10, 2019, after reportedly hanging himself in his Manhattan prison cell.{{Cite web |last1=Rashbaum |first1=William K. |last2=Weiser |first2=Benjamin |last3=Gold |first3=Michael |date=August 10, 2019 |title=Jeffrey Epstein Dead in Suicide at Manhattan Jail, Officials Say |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/10/nyregion/jeffrey-epstein-suicide.html |access-date=August 10, 2019 |website=The New York Times}}

On August 29, 2019, in the wake of Epstein's death 19 days prior, the case against Epstein was closed after District Judge Richard Berman dismissed all sex trafficking charges.{{Cite web |last=Neumeister |first=Larry |date=August 29, 2019 |title=Judge ends case against Epstein, with a nod to the accusers |url=https://apnews.com/9032d5b4c8bb4175958da4e545f60543 |publisher=Associated Press}}{{Cite web |last=Pierson |first=Brendan |date=August 30, 2019 |title=Case against Jeffrey Epstein dismissed following his death |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-people-jeffrey-epstein-idUSKCN1VJ28B |publisher=Reuters}} Judge Berman expressed support for Epstein's accusers, stating that he invited them to speak publicly at a hearing on August 27, 2019, out of "respect" for "the difficult decisions victims made to come forward". Giuffre was among the 16 women who spoke publicly at the hearing, which included Anouska De Georgiou, Sarah Ransome, Jennifer Araoz, Chauntae Davies, Courtney Wild, Theresa J. Helm, and Marijke Chartouni.{{Cite news |last1=Merle |first1=Renae |last2=Zapotosky |first2=Matt |date=August 27, 2019 |title='The reckoning must not end': Epstein's accusers urge prosecutors to pursue his enablers |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/at-hearing-to-dismiss-jeffrey-epsteins-charges-those-who-say-he-abused-them-given-chance-to-be-heard/2019/08/26/35cb03c2-c83a-11e9-a1fe-ca46e8d573c0_story.html |access-date=February 8, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} At the hearing, Giuffre stated, "The reckoning must not end. It must continue. He did not act alone. We the victims know that." Prosecutors signaled that they would continue an investigation for potential co-conspirators.

Media coverage and appearances

Giuffre appeared on a special edition of Dateline NBC with Savannah Guthrie discussing the Epstein scandal along with victims Anouska De Georgiou, Rachel Benavidez, Jennifer Araoz, Marijke Chartouni and Chauntae Davies.{{Cite web |last=Donahue |first=Dominique |date=September 19, 2019 |title=Dateline NBC Exclusive: Virginia Roberts Giuffre, Jeffrey Epstein Accuser, Sits Down with Savannah Guthrie in Her First Television Interview |url=https://press.nbcnews.com/2019/09/19/dateline-nbc-exclusive-virginia-roberts-giuffre-jeffrey-epstein-accuser-sits-down-with-savannah-guthrie-in-her-first-television-interview/ |access-date=February 3, 2020 |website=NBC News}} The special, titled "Reckoning", aired on September 20, 2019.

Giuffre was interviewed for the 60 Minutes Australia investigation that aired on November 10, 2019.{{Cite magazine |last=Vanderhoof |first=Erin |date=November 6, 2019 |title=Prince Andrew's Accuser Repeats Her Allegations on 60 Minutes Australia |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2019/11/prince-andrew-virginia-roberts-giuffre-60-minutes-australia |access-date=February 2, 2020 |magazine=Vanity Fair}}{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Sammi |date=November 10, 2019 |title='I was trafficked to billionaires, politicians, even royalty' |url=https://www.9news.com.au/national/60-minutes-jeffrey-epsteinn-prince-andrew/4f111dcf-d7cc-46ac-9da6-90f5a4c37740 |access-date=February 2, 2020 |website=www.9news.com.au}} In the program she describes her experiences of being trafficked by Epstein and Maxwell to have sex with Prince Andrew three times in 2001: the first time being in London at Maxwell's Belgravia residence, the second at Epstein's New York mansion, and the final occurrence (involving multiple girls and the Prince) on Little Saint James.

Giuffre also gave an interview in October 2019 to the BBC, describing her experience of being sex-trafficked by Epstein to Prince Andrew, for a Panorama special, "The Prince and the Epstein Scandal", which aired on December 2, 2019. In the program, Giuffre directly appealed to the public by stating, "I implore the people in the UK to stand up beside me, to help me fight this fight, to not accept this as being ok."

BBC reporter Emily Maitlis conducted a Newsnight interview with Prince Andrew, discussing Giuffre's allegations and his friendship with Epstein, which aired on November 16, 2019. The reaction to the Prince's conduct during the interview was one of overwhelming disapproval; this, combined with Giuffre's public appeal, helped lead to a widespread shift in opinion by the British people. The prince resigned from his royal duties on November 20, 2019, as a number of organizations and charities that he was connected to severed ties.{{Cite news |date=November 20, 2019 |title=Prince Andrew stepping back from royal duties |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50496539 |access-date=January 23, 2020 |publisher=BBC News }}{{Cite news |last=Landler |first=Mark |date=December 2, 2019 |title=Prince Andrew's Accuser Takes Her Case to the BBC |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/02/world/europe/prince-andrews-Virginia-Roberts-Giuffre-bbc.html |access-date=January 23, 2020 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}} Despite the Prince's promises to assist authorities, in January 2020, U.S. attorney Geoffrey Berman stated that Prince Andrew had provided "zero cooperation" after the FBI and the Southern District of New York had requested to interview him as part of the Epstein inquiry.{{Cite news |date=January 27, 2020 |title='Zero co-operation' from Prince Andrew over Epstein |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51271871 |access-date=February 8, 2020 |publisher=BBC News }}

Giuffre appeared, along with Maria Farmer, in a four-part Netflix series, released in May 2020, titled Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, directed by Lisa Bryant and based on the earlier book of the same name by James Patterson.{{Cite news |last=Horton |first=Adrian |date=May 27, 2020 |title='It's outrageous': inside an infuriating Netflix series on Jeffrey Epstein |url=https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/may/27/jeffrey-epstein-netflix-documentary |access-date=June 9, 2020 |work=The Guardian |issn=0261-3077}}

In July 2020, following Maxwell's federal indictment, Giuffre was interviewed by Gayle King for CBS This Morning.{{Cite web |date=July 16, 2020 |title=Ghislaine Maxwell could 'squeal' on 'very well-known names,' Epstein accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre says |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ghislaine-maxwell-virginia-roberts-giuffre-jeffrey-epstein-squeal-names/ |access-date=July 17, 2020 |website=CBS News |language=en}}

Giuffre and other survivors of Epstein's sex trafficking ring were featured in the four-part documentary series Surviving Jeffrey Epstein which premiered on August 9, 2020, on Lifetime.{{Cite magazine |last=Miller |first=Julie |date=August 10, 2020 |title=How Jeffrey Epstein Ensnared Prince Andrew in His Sex Trafficking Operation |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/08/jeffrey-epstein-prince-andrew-sex-ring |access-date=August 13, 2020 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-us}}

Personal life

Following her marriage to Robert in 2002, Giuffre lived in Glenning Valley on the Central Coast, New South Wales for 11 years.{{Cite web |last=Han |first=Esther |date=January 5, 2015 |title=Virginia Roberts' new lease on life after escaping from billionaire sexual predator Jeffrey Epstein |url=https://www.smh.com.au/world/virginia-roberts-new-lease-on-life-after-escaping-from-billionaire-sexual-predator-jeffrey-epstein-20150105-12i9f8.html |access-date=January 25, 2020 |website=Sydney Morning Herald}} The family relocated to the United States in November 2013 and stayed for several years, initially spending time in Florida, and later in Colorado in 2015.{{Cite web |last=Folkenflik |first=David |date=August 22, 2019 |title=A Dead Cat, A Lawyer's Call And A 5-Figure Donation: How Media Fell Short On Epstein |url=https://www.kunc.org/post/dead-cat-lawyers-call-and-5-figure-donation-how-media-fell-short-epstein |access-date=January 25, 2020 |website=www.kunc.org}} In 2019, it was reported that Giuffre lived in Cairns, Queensland with her husband Robert and their three children: two sons and one daughter.{{Cite web |last=Foster |first=Ally |date=November 26, 2019 |title=Woman at the centre of Prince Andrew interview furore lives low-key life in Cairns |url=https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/royals/the-woman-at-the-centre-of-the-prince-andrew-royal-interview-furore-lives-lowkey-life-in-cairns/news-story/76078d380837c4f44d8d6260c5a46d48 |access-date=January 25, 2020 |website=News.com.au}} In 2020, she moved with her family to Ocean Reef in Perth, Western Australia. It was reported that she and her husband separated in early 2025.{{cite web |title=Virginia Giuffre says she is in hospital after 'serious' car accident |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c5yl5vle2nmo |website=BBC News |first=Rachel |last=Hagan |language=en |date=March 31, 2025 |access-date=March 31, 2025}}

On March 31, 2025, Giuffre said that her car collided with a bus traveling at {{cvt|110|km/h|mph|round=5|order=flip}}, resulting in her going into renal failure. In an Instagram post that day, Giuffre said she had been given four days to live. The Western Australia police later announced that they had records of a "minor crash" between a bus and a car on March 24, but that no injuries had been reported as a result. Her family later said in a statement that a police report had been filed following the accident, and Giuffre who was "banged up and bruised" was subsequently taken to hospital as her condition deteriorated.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cyvqylylgm4o|title=Virginia Giuffre grateful for 'love and support' after car crash|work=BBC News |first=Jessica|last=Rawnsley|date=April 1, 2025|access-date=April 2, 2025}} At the same time, Giuffre was accused of breaching a family violence restraining order taken out by her estranged husband, with a court hearing set for April 9.{{cite magazine|url=https://people.com/virginia-giuffre-accused-breaching-family-violence-restraining-order-before-revealing-days-to-live-11707431|title=Virginia Giuffre Allegedly Broke Family Violence Restraining Order Weeks Before Claiming She Has Days to Live|magazine=People|first=Becca|last=Longmire|date=April 2, 2025|access-date=April 2, 2025}} She later denied violating any such order and added that she would defend herself "against his malicious claim".{{cite news|url=https://www.eonline.com/news/1415638/virginia-giuffre-responds-to-claim-she-violated-restraining-order|title=Virginia Giuffre Responds to Claim She Violated Restraining Order Weeks Before Accident|work=E! News|first=Gibson|last=Johns|date=April 2, 2025|access-date=April 2, 2025}}

See also

References

{{reflist}}

Further reading

  • {{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Julie K. |author-link=Julie K. Brown |date=November 28, 2018 |title=Even from jail, sex abuser manipulated the system. His victims were kept in the dark |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article219494920.html |work=Miami Herald}}
  • {{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Julie K. |author-link=Julie K. Brown |date=November 28, 2018 |title=For years, Jeffrey Epstein abused teen girls, police say. A timeline of his case |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article221404845.html |work=Miami Herald}}
  • {{Cite news |last=Brown |first=Julie K. |author-link=Julie K. Brown |date=November 28, 2018 |title=How a future Trump Cabinet member gave a serial sex abuser the deal of a lifetime |url=https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article220097825.html |work=Miami Herald}}
  • {{Cite magazine |last=Bruck |first=Connie |author-link=Connie Bruck |date=August 5, 2019 |title=Devil's Advocate: Alan Dershowitz's long, controversial career{{snd}}and the accusations against him |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/08/05/alan-dershowitz-devils-advocate |magazine=The New Yorker |pages=32–47}}