Friends and family honour Virginia Giuffre at Washington DC memorial to mark one year since her death
Virginia Giuffre was honored with an emotional memorial service in the US to mark one year since her death in Western Australia and demand justice for the victims of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Friends, family and supporters of Giuffre, Epstein’s best-known victim, gathered near the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C., to remember the woman who shared her story of abuse with the world.
Giuffre committed suicide on April 25, 2025, at the age of 41, at her farmhouse in Neergabby, north of Perth. His family said his death followed a long struggle dealing with the trauma of abuse.
During the vigil, with the White House in the background, her brother Sky Roberts gave a powerful speech in front of 250 guests honoring Ms. Giuffre and praising her for speaking out.
“Dude, today is your day,” he said.
“Today is Virginia’s day, and I know you’ll want to celebrate survivors around the world, both those who come forward and those who don’t, to inspire us to keep talking, to take action, and to take back what so many of us feel like we’ve lost.”
The event’s stage was adorned with butterfly decorations, flowers and an artist’s depiction of Ms. Giuffre among animals and nature.
Ms Giuffre’s family renewed their call for the King to meet them during his state visit to the US this week to “show unity with the survivors”.
Sky and Ms. Giuffre’s sister-in-law, Amanda Roberts, “strongly” urged Charles to meet with both them and Epstein’s survivors earlier this month.
Charles and the Queen will arrive in the US on Monday for a four-day visit where they will meet President Donald Trump.
Ms Giuffre emerged as one of Epstein’s most prominent victims after the sex offender confronted his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell and former British royal Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor over allegations that she had been trafficked and sexually abused.
Maxwell is serving a 20-year prison sentence in the United States for enticing young girls to sexually abuse her for Epstein.
Asked whether granting clemency to Maxwell in exchange for evidence was something they would support, Amanda Roberts told BBC Newsnight: “Never. Never. Never.”
“The very idea of forgiving and blaming Maxwell in the same sentence makes me sick to my stomach — and the idea of that being bandied around as a reasonable thing.”
Lifeline: 13 11 14.
If you or someone you know needs help, contact Sexual Assault Counseling Australia on 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or 1800 211 028, the WA Sexual Assault Resource Center on 6458 1828 or 1800 199 888, or the Lifeline on 13 11 14.
