Virginia Giuffre's suicide may compound Prince Andrew's situation

Virginia Giuffre, one of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein's most prominent accusers, has committed suicide, her family said on Friday.

Giuffre, 41, died on Friday in Western Australia state, where she had been living for several years, the family said in an emailed statement.

Giuffre was one of the first people to call for criminal prosecution against Epstein, which he eventually faced. Epstein was charged with sex trafficking in July 2019. 

Authorities say he committed suicide a few weeks later while imprisoned in New York's Metropolitan Correctional Center.

Giuffre in 2022 settled a lawsuit in which she accused Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her as a teenager at Epstein's mansion in New York and on Epstein's private Caribbean island, Little St. James.

Andrew was deprived of his military titles and royal patronages after he stepped down due to the controversy over his alleged relations with Epstein.

British media reports suggest that Andrew's relations with some members of the royal family still remain strained.

The suicide of Virginia Giuffre is expected to put a new spotlight on her lawsuit against Andrew and could further compound his situation within the royal family.