Her family informed NBC News of her death in a statement. She was 41 years old.

“It is with utterly broken hearts that we announce that Virginia passed away last night at her farm in Western Australia,” her family said.

“She lost her life to suicide, after being a lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking.”

The statement continued: “Virginia was a fierce warrior in the fight against sexual abuse and sex trafficking. She was the light that lifted so many survivors.

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

Ms Giuffre alleged she was trafficked by convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to have sex with Prince Andrew when she was a teenager.

She sued the Duke of York for sexual abuse in August 2021.

The duke has repeatedly denied the claims, and has not been charged with any criminal offences.

In March 2022, it was announced Ms Giuffre and the Duke had reached an out-of-court settlement.

It is believed the settlement included a “substantial donation to Ms Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights”.

More to come