Virginia Giuffre’s lawyer has said she never feared the sex abuse survivor would take her own life.
Sigrid McCawley fought back tears in a 60 Minutes interview on Sunday night as she struggled to come to terms with her client’s suicide.
She is the second of Giuffre’s lawyers to say there were no signs the Epstein accuser wanted to end her life in the weeks leading up to her death.
Her lawyer,Karrie Louden,claimed there were ‘big question marks’ over her death.
Ms Giuffre was found dead on April 25 (Picture: TNS)
Giuffre,who settled a sexual assault lawsuit against Prince Andrew,was found dead at her home in Western Australia on April 25.
Her family said she died after being a ‘lifelong victim of sexual abuse and sex trafficking’,with the ‘toll of abuse’ becoming
Giuffre’s attorney McCawley,has now revealed her shock and devastation at the sudden suicide,saying she reacted with ‘overwhelming surprise and disbelief. True disbelief.’
She told CBS 60 Minutes: ‘It took me several hours to even come to terms with the fact that that was real.
She was just a dear person in my life. And I think that the world will not be the same without her. It just won’t be.’
When asked if she was concerned Virginia would take her own life,she responded,‘I did not fear that’.
Virginia’s lawyer broke down in tears (Picture: Nine)
The lawyer added: ‘Virginia is always someone to rally. So every time I talk to her,she could find the sunny side of something.
‘That’s why I think that the disbelief has been so strong.
‘I think that while Virginia could face many demons in her life and many villains,that moment of deprivation,I think,was something more than she could handle.’
The pair were close friends as well as working in a working relationship.
McCawley emotionally recalled when she realised Giuffre valued her as more than her lawyer.
Ms Giuffre was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell (Picture: AP)
‘I used to say that we had broken through the lawyer-client line because she would sign her emails,‘I love you Siggy’,’ she said.
Then less than a month before her death,Giuffre posted on Instagram that she had been in a road accident and had four days to live due to ‘kidney renal failure.
This led McCawley to be concerned about her physical health.
Western Australia Police said they received a report of a ‘minor crash’ and that there were ‘no reported injuries as a result’.
McCawley’s interview came after Giuffre’s dad Sky Roberts,said there was ‘no way’ Ms Giuffre died by suicide.
He alleged to Piers Morgan Uncensored at the beginning of this mouth that there was foul play involved,adding: ‘For them to say that she committed suicide,there’s no way she did that. Somebody got to her.
‘I don’t think she committed suicide.’
Virginia Giuffre’s father Sky Roberts said he doesn’t believe his daughter died by suicide
(Picture: Piers Morgan Uncensored)
Giuffre was one of the most outspoken accusers of convicted sex offenders Jeffrey Epstein and his former girlfriend, Ghislaine Maxwell.
She alleged they trafficked her to Prince Andrew when she was 17,a claim which he has denied.
Giuffre sued him for allegedly sexually assaulting her when she was 17 after she was trafficked by paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein.
The Duke paid millions to settle the civil sexual assault case,which he said he had never met.
McCawley referred to these legal battles when praising Giuffre’s legacy.
She said: ‘She was just remarkable.
‘She has left us with a feeling that irrespective of whether you’re a president,a politician,a billionaire or a prince,you can be held accountable. You are not above the law.’
‘She put Epstein in prison. She put Maxwell in prison.
‘She had Prince Andrew stripped of his titles.
‘Her words,her actions were incredible,and they started a movement of change.’
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