Virginia Giuffre remembered at Washington vigil on first anniversary of her death
Washington: Prominent Jeffrey Epstein victim and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor accuser Virginia Giuffre has been hailed as a world-changing hero at a memorial service held since her death as lawyers prepare for King Charles’s upcoming visit to the US.
A small crowd gathered at Washington’s National Mall, just a block from the White House, on Saturday (US time) to remember Giuffre, who died by suicide at her farm north of Perth on Anzac Day last year. He was 41 years old.
His younger brother, Sky Roberts, who, along with his wife Amanda, has become a prominent voice demanding reform of sex trafficking laws and the release of all so-called Epstein files, read a letter to his sister from the stage.
“I want you to know this: you changed the world, brother,” he said. “Your surviving sisters, your friends, your family, and the thousands of amazing survivors from all walks of life; they continue to change the world and refuse to remain silent because you showed us the way and we carry your torch with honor.”
Democrats have introduced a bill to Congress, called the Virginia Act, that would remove the statute of limitations for adult survivors of sexual abuse to file civil lawsuits against their abusers.
Giuffre accused the late American financier Epstein of selling her out to Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the younger brother of King Charles, when she was 17.
Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied the allegations and settled out of court with Giuffre in 2022 without admitting wrongdoing. He said he didn’t remember anything about meeting Giuffre.
The former prince was stripped of his remaining royal titles and honors as the fallout from the release of the Epstein files intensified, and he was arrested earlier this year on suspicion of misconduct in public office. He was released but the investigation continues.
Addressing the crowd in Washington, Arisha Hatch, chief executive of social justice lobby group UltraViolet, said the group would launch a new initiative called the Epstein Accountability Project in the coming days, possibly during the King’s visit.
He said the aim of the project was to “ensure that the individuals and institutions that enabled the largest child sexual abuse network of our lifetime face accountability.”
Sky and Amanda Roberts have called for the King to meet them and abuse survivors while Epstein is in the US. Democratic congressman Ro Khanna also requested that the King meet with the survivors during his visit.
However, the King and Queen said through their lawyers that they could not hold the meeting due to “ongoing police investigations”.
Democratic congressman Jamie Raskin said at the memorial that Giuffre’s legacy is as a leader whose legacy stands alongside the contributions of America’s great civil rights activists.
“Future generations will marvel at his resilience and celebrate his personal faith and moral determination to change American society and the world,” he said.
“He is now not only a hero of this movement, but a hero for the ages, along with other great leaders and heroes of history like Dolores Huerta, Rosa Parks, and Frederick Douglass.”
Giuffre’s friend and publicist Dini Von Mueffling said Giuffre was the most extraordinary person she had ever met and fondly recalled the long international phone calls they had during COVID pandemic quarantines.
Giuffre said she wished the Virginia Code had gone into effect and that Mountbatten-Windsor was alive to lose her remaining privileges. “It wasn’t his job to brag. Justice and responsibility were,” he said.
Before her death, Giuffre had accused her estranged Australian husband, Robert, of years of physical and emotional abuse.
He pleaded guilty to a domestic violence charge related to a 2015 incident. 60 Minutes reported.
He denied the harassment allegations through lawyers and sent her a statement of concern earlier this year. 60 MinutesIt is the first step in a defamation case.
Among the crowd, Hannah Holden, who was visiting Washington from Brazil and works for an organization that supports victims of sexual and domestic violence, said she felt compelled to attend the memorial.
“He’s fearless and he deserves so much more, he deserves justice, he deserves all the love in the world,” Holden said.
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Michael Koziol is the North America correspondent for The Age and the Sydney Morning Herald. He is a former Sydney editor, Sun-Herald deputy editor and a federal political correspondent in Canberra.Connect with: X or email.
