Last month, a role model survivor within the anti-trafficking community–took her life at the young age of forty-one. Since then, I, along with others who found this woman brave, empowering, and influential, have felt her loss deeply.
Virginia Giuffre is not just a survivor of vicious sex trafficking–but a woman who wanted the system to provide survivors and their families the rights that they very promised every American. Virginia’s passing should not go unremembered. This tragedy should serve as a warning and a revelation to the United States that we cannot allow corruption to infiltrate the criminal justice system. With our words, actions, careers, and passion, we can prevent cases such as the irreversible ones we face today.
Her Life Was Spent Surviving a Heaping Amount of Trauma…
Virginia Giuffre’s survival from Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell, and their wealthy moguls is undoubtedly a depressing but significant story. With a passion for fighting against a national army of corruption, her journey has taught every type of American valuable lessons. Not only did her story, as well as those of others who have come forward, reveal the corruption and bias for money and power in not only our government but also in parts of society that are so unexpected as to go overlooked.
Epstein and Maxwell’s reign should have ended back when he was first investigated, but disturbingly enough, many officials covered for him. It would be years till their grimacing operation would come to a halt. For years after being caught the first time around and being slapped on the wrist with a sweetheart deal–children, including Virginia, were abused due to the corruption, malicious, and negligence of the government.
How Did She Advocate?
Plenty of interviews, documentaries, and pieces about Virginia’s story are available today. With her public voice, her advocacy work lives on in many forms.
Not only did Virginia dedicate her time to other organizations and news outlets, but she also founded her own advocacy group for survivors of human trafficking, called Speak, Out, Act, Reclaim, alongside her co-board member, Dini Von Mueffling. Empowering individuals to seek help and voice her ambition to fight against those who are silencing survivors looking to be heard.
As mentioned before, Virginia dedicated a considerable amount of time to the news and documentary crews, providing us with plentiful — but not enough — of her strong work. Looking back on her accounts, stories, and work, we can all learn something new every time we watch her, as she always has something valuable to say.
Carrying on Virginia’s legacy and Advocating
While her lived experience has–and is, suppressed today in parts, we can still fight for Virginia and the fallen voices of these crimes to release the stories and names of those who have been silenced and can no longer battle their fights. Everyone can utilize their own talents and actions to raise awareness and advocate for a more just and equitable system.
Globally, we all have a voice–if we use it together in action, we can fight corruption and mark a community goal to prevent human trafficking.
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