The father of Virginia Giuffre, one of the most outspoken survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s sexual abuse, has claimed his daughter did not die by suicide.
Giuffre, 41, died by suicide in Neergabby, Australia last week, according to a statement from her family last week. But now, her father Sky Roberts has questioned that version of events, telling Piers Morgan he believes someone “got to her” Giuffre.
“First of all, I couldn’t even believe it. I mean, I started crying right away,” Roberts said when asked about Giuffre’s death. “I’m still crying. I can’t believe that this is happening. It’s impossible.”
“And then for them to say that she committed suicide, there’s no way that she did,” he continued. “Somebody got to her.”
Roberts added that Giuffre was “very strong” and “had too much to live for.”
Morgan also asked Roberts what he would say to those who doubted his daughter’s claims of sexual abuse.
“I believed everything she said,” Roberts responded. “She was my daughter.”
Giuffre was an advocate for sexual abuse survivors, even founding the non-profit Speak Out, Act, Reclaim. The organization is “dedicated to providing a safe and empowering space for survivors of sex trafficking to reclaim their stories and stand up for themselves and each other.”
Giuffre was also one of the first people to call for criminal charges against Epstein, who died by suicide in 2019 after his arrest on federal sex trafficking charges. Giuffre recounted how she was groomed by British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell – to be sexually abused by Epstein. She even provided key information to law enforcement that helped prosecutors ultimately convict Maxwell in 2021.
Fellow survivors of Epstein’s abuse also credit Giuffre with helping give them the courage to speak out.
According to interviews and depositions, Giuffre said she was recruited by Maxwell while working as a locker room attendant in Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago.
She once said Epstein passed her around “like a platter of fruit” to other men when she was a teenager. She also accused Epstein of trafficking her to Prince Andrew when she was 17, which he has denied.
In 2009, Giuffre (then identified only as Jane Doe) sued Epstein and Maxwell, claiming they recruited her to join a sex-trafficking ring as a minor under the false promise of becoming a professional masseuse. Giuffre went on to identify herself publicly in 2015.
She went on to sue Prince Andrew in 2021, settling with him a year later. The settlement sum went towards Giuffre’s organization, Speak Out, Act, Reclaim.
Her family announced her death last Friday.
“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” Giuffre’s family said in a statement provided to The Independent. “She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.”
Giuffre was a “fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking,” the statement continues. “She was the light that lifted so many survivors. Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure.”
Giuffre appeared to have health problems leading up to her death. She posted a photo of herself with a bruised face in a hospital bed on Instagram earlier this year, explaining that doctors told her she had “four days to live” due to kidney failure following a car wreck. She was discharged from the hospital six days later.
Giuffre was also supposed to appear in court on April 9 after being charged with violating a family violence restraining order obtained by her husband, People reported. She allegedly violated the order by calling her husband on February 2.
However, her court appearance was postponed at the request of her attorney, and a judge granted her an extension until June to enter a plea.
If you are based in the U.S. and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.
If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can also speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email [email protected], or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.
