Virginia Giuffre dead: Family heartbroken as Jeffrey Epstein victim passes away after suicide

sex abuse survivor - who "pushed so hard to snuff the evil out of the " - has died, her family has confirmed today.

The woman was described as "a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse" by her heartbroken relatives, who said she took her life at her farm in Neergabby, Western . Virginia, who was trafficked by Epstein as a teen, also claimed she was sexually abused by Prince Andrew, claims the royal has strongly denied.

Virginia's family said today: "It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia. 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."

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The statement was sent to , which reports how Virginia's bravery gave abuse survivors everywhere the courage to speak out. The 41-year-old woman grew to prominence when she came forward with her allegations, and called for charges to be brought against late financier Epstein.

Her brother, Danny Wilson, told NBC News she "pushed so hard to snuff the evil out" of the world. He added: "Her biggest push was, 'If I don’t do this, nobody’s going to do it. She was in real physical pain — suffered from renal failure. But I think that the mental pain was worse."

The woman's publicist Dini von Mueffling said in a statement: "Deeply loving, wise and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims. She adored her children and many animals. She was always more concerned with me than with herself. I will miss her beyond words. It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her."

While being held on sex trafficking charges, in August 2019. The sex offender, said to have had more than 200 victims, was found unresponsive in his cell in the Manhattan clink.

Virginia, who leaves behind three children, later claimed she was sexually abused by Prince Andrew at the behest of Epstein's associate, jailed British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, when she was just 17. However, the Duke of York has denied these allegations, as , as has Maxwell - .

Born in Sacramento, California, Virginia was one of the earliest voices calling for criminal charges against Epstein and his enablers. The campaigner also provided critical information to law enforcement, which contributed to the investigation into and later the conviction of Maxwell, now .

Epstein's abuse alone lasted three years from when Virginia was just 16 in 1999, according to the campaigner. Epstein, the wealthy financier, had multiple powerful friends, including Prince Andrew.

Although as controversy related to Epstein swirled around him, he denied having sex with Virginia. Speaking at the time in November 2019, Andrew said: "It has become clear to me over the last few days that the circumstances relating to my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work and the valuable work going on in the many organisations and charities that I am proud to support.

"Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission. I continue to unequivocally regret my ill-judged association with Jeffrey Epstein."

Most recently, Virginia shared images of herself to from a hospital bed after being in a car crash, . The mum said her car had been hit by a school bus travelling at 110km/h (68mph) and the accident had left her with kidney failure.

One photograph showed discolouration to the woman's face and chest. to undergo treatment for the injuries suffered in the crash, which happened near Perth, Australia.

In a troubling Instagram post at the time, Virginia said she had experienced "the worst start to a new year". Her lawyer told reporters the campaigner faced "a very bad situation".

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