Virginia Giuffre’s family praise charities for cutting ties with Duchess of York

Family members of Virginia Giuffre have praised charities’ “decisive action” by cutting ties with Sarah, Duchess of York, after it emerged she sent an email to paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein calling him a “supreme friend”.

Several charities severed ties with the duchess on Monday after it emerged she apologised to Epstein in April 2011 after publicly disowning him in the media.

Ms Giuffre, who died in Western Australia in April aged 41, was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offenders Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

In 2022, she settled lawsuit against the Duke of York, the duchess’ former husband, for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked by Epstein. He denied the claim and ever meeting Ms Giuffre.

American-born Ms Giuffre’s brother, Sky Roberts, and her sister-in-law Amanda Roberts, said in a statement: “It is commendable that these seven charities have cut ties with Sarah Ferguson in light of her connections to Epstein.

“This decisive action sends a strong message about accountability and the need to confront those who support the horrific child trafficking network established by Epstein and Maxwell.”

They added: “It raises important questions about our own efforts in America.

“Are we doing enough to condemn those complicit in these crimes?

“We should follow the example set by these organisations and take meaningful steps to protect the vulnerable and uphold justice.”

Ms Giuffre was “was systematically failed by nearly every powerful institution that was meant to protect her”, they said, before commending the “forceful response” from the charities and adding: “In absence of governmental accountability, we urgently need stronger public condemnation of the men and women involved in propping up Epstein’s horrific child sex trafficking network here in America to begin pursuing real justice.”

James Henderson, the duchess’s spokesperson at the time, said the email was sent after a “really menacing and nasty” phone call from the sex offender – who had a “Hannibal Lecter-type voice”, the Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

The phone call reportedly took place in the wake of the duchess’s interview with the Evening Standard on March 7 2011, in which she apologised for accepting £15,000 from Epstein.

She told the newspaper: “I abhor paedophilia and any sexual abuse of children and know that this was a gigantic error of judgment on my behalf. I am just so contrite I cannot say.

“Whenever I can, I will repay the money and have nothing ever to do with Jeffrey Epstein ever again.”

A little over a month later, the duchess sent a message to Epstein, reported by The Sun newspaper, in which she said: “I know you feel hellaciously let down by me.

“And I must humbly apologise to you and your heart for that.

“You have always been a steadfast, generous and supreme friend to me and my family.”

It continued: “I was advised in no uncertain terms, to have nothing to do with you and to not speak or email you.

“And if I did — I would cause more problems to you, the duke and myself. I was broken and lost.

“So please understand. I didn’t want to hurt Andrew one more time. I was in over-riding fear. I am sorry.”

Among the organisations to end their relationships with the duchess after the 2011 email came to light is the Teenage Cancer Trust, who dropped her as patron after 35 years.

Similar announcements came from Wiltshire and Dorset-based children’s hospice Julia’s House, Prevent Breast Cancer, The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation and the National Foundation for Retired Service Animals – who all cut ties with the duchess on Monday.

The British Heart Foundation also said she was no longer a serving ambassador for the charity.

Julia’s House explained it would be “inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity” – citing her correspondence with Epstein as a deciding factor – while founders of food allergy charity The Natasha Allergy Research Foundation said they were “disturbed” to read her correspondence with him.

Other charities thanked the duchess for her work.

The Duke of York paid millions to settle the civil sexual assault case with Ms Giuffre in 2022, who alleged the duke slept with her on three separate occasions.

Epstein was found dead in his cell at a federal jail in Manhattan, in the US, in August 2019 while he awaited trial on sex-trafficking charges.

The death was ruled a suicide.