Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Giuffre says she’s in hospital after car crash with a school bus
CNN
By Michael Rios, Angus Watson and Rob Picheta, CNN
(CNN) — Virginia Giuffre, a prominent Jeffrey Epstein accuser who alleged Prince Andrew abused her, is in “serious condition” in hospital after a school bus hit a car she was driving in rural Australia, her spokesperson told CNN on Tuesday after police appeared to contradict her initial account.
In an Instagram post Sunday, Giuffre shared a photo of herself lying in a hospital bed with her face covered in bruises. “I’ve gone into kidney renal failure, they’ve given me four days to live,” she wrote.
But authorities later indicated to CNN that no injuries had been reported following the crash, and Giuffre’s family said in a statement through their representation on Tuesday: “Virginia thought that she had posted (the message) on her private Facebook page.”
Giuffre was one of the most prominent accusers of the wealthy sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, and in 2019, she publicly alleged Epstein trafficked her and forced her to have sex with his friends, including Prince Andrew, when she was 17 years old. She also claimed the prince was aware she was underage in the US at the time. The Duke of York repeatedly denied the claims.
Guiffre said in her initial Instagram post that a school bus “driving 110km” (68 mph) hit her car as it was slowing for a turn.
Western Australia Police referred CNN to a report of a “minor” collision between a car and a bus near Perth on March 24, stating “The car sustained approximately $2,000 ($1,250) worth of damage. There were no reported injuries as a result of the crash.”
A source with knowledge of the situation told CNN Tuesday that Giuffre was a current inpatient at a hospital in Perth, but was not in a life-threatening condition.
Giuffre does have the bruising shown in the social picture, according to the source, but has not at this stage told the hospital what caused those injuries.
Giuffre’s spokesperson, after being contacted by CNN for further comment, said in a statement attributed to Giuffre’s family that “she remains in serious condition while receiving medical care.”
“On March 24, in rural Western Australia, a school bus hit the car in which she was riding,” her spokesperson said. “The police were called but said that there was no one available to come to the scene. They asked if anyone was injured and suggested that if they were, they should make their way to the hospital.”
“The school bus driver had a bus full of distraught children and left the scene to get them back, saying he would file a police report, which he did later. Virginia was banged up and bruised and returned home,” her spokesperson continued.
“Virginia’s condition worsened and she was admitted to the hospital. Concerning her Instagram post, Virginia thought that she had posted on her private Facebook page,” they said.
In 2021, Giuffre filed a lawsuit against Prince Andrew for alleged sexual abuse.
The following year, she reached an out-of-court settlement with the prince for an undisclosed amount.
Andrew later paid the settlement and attorneys for both parties filed a stipulation for the lawsuit to be dismissed.
“Prince Andrew intends to make a substantial donation to Ms. Giuffre’s charity in support of victims’ rights. Prince Andrew has never intended to malign Ms. Giuffre’s character, and he accepts that she has suffered both as an established victim of abuse and as a result of unfair public attacks,” according to a letter filed to the court announcing the settlement.
Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state prostitution charges and in July 2019 was indicted on federal sex trafficking charges. Prosecutors accused him of carrying out a decades-long scheme of sexual abuse of underage girls, flying them on private planes to his properties in Florida, New York, New Mexico and the US Virgin Islands. He died by suicide in prison before he could face trial.
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