Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre dies aged 41

, who accused of sexual assault, has died aged 41. In a statement, her family said she took her own life at the farm where she had been living for several years.

Her family hailed Ms Giuffre as a "fierce warrior" in the battle against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. Ms Giuffre had become over the years one of the most prominent voices accusing of grooming and sexually abusing her. The family's statement read: "It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western . She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.

"In the end, the toll of abuse is so heavy that it became unbearable for Virginia to handle its weight."

They added: "Despite all the adversity she faced in her life, she shone so bright. She will be missed beyond measure".

She is survived by her three children, whom the statement described as the "light of her life."

Police confirmed emergency services received reports of an unresponsive woman at a property in the Perth suburb of Neergabby on Friday night.

"Police and St John Western Australia attended and provided emergency first aid. Sadly, the 41-year-old woman was declared deceased at the scene," a police spokeswoman said.

"The death is being investigated by Major Crime detectives; early indication is the death is not suspicious."

Ms Giuffre's long-time publicist Dini von Mueffling said her client was "one of the most extraordinary human beings I have ever had the honour to know".

"Deeply loving, wise, and funny, she was a beacon to other survivors and victims," Ms von Mueffling said.

"It was the privilege of a lifetime to represent her."

Ms Giuffre, who was believed to have separated from her husband, was treated in an Australian hospital , her publicist said last month.

She did not answer questions about the date, location, nature or other specifics of the accident and about the accuracy of an Instagram post that appeared from Ms Giuffre in which she said she had been in a car that was hit by a school bus, and her prognosis was dire.

American-born Giuffre has lived in Australia for years and has become an advocate for sex trafficking survivors after emerging as a central figure in the prolonged downfall of disgraced paedophile financier Epstein.

She alleged that Epsteain and his his former girlfriend trafficked her to the when she was 17, a claim which Andrew has denied.

She came forward publicly after the initial investigation ended in an 18-month Florida jail term for Epstein, who made a secret deal and was released in 2009.

In subsequent lawsuits, Ms Giuffre said she was a spa attendant as a teen at Mar-a-Lago - US President Donald Trump's Palm Beach club - when she was approached in 2000 by Maxwell.

She was hired as a masseuse for Epstein and was flown around the world for meetings with men at Epstein's behest, including the Duke of York, while she was 17 and 18.

The duke paid millions to settle a civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre, whom he said he had never met.

She sued him for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked by paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein, a claim that he denied.

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