Known for her courage, Virginia couldn’t admit she’d been trapped again.
And unfortunately, it seems I was right; it was her ex-husband, Robert Giuffre, who pleaded guilty to domestic violence against Virginia in 2015 in Penrose, Colorado, where they were staying to avoid the press at home.
Known for her courage in bringing down Epstein et al, it must have felt impossible for Virginia to admit she’d been trapped again. However, it is predictable, NONE of it her fault; nevertheless, the vulnerable are a magnet for abusers. She was seen as strong – a trophy and cover for him. Just like Scary Spice, Melanie Brown, was for her abuser. Who was going to believe that Scary Spice was being beaten up by her partner? And the press would not have been sympathetic.
So Robert Giuffre managed to DARVO Virginia. He Denied attacks on Virginia in Australia, persuading the police in Australia, their home, that she might have self-inflicted her injuries. Attacked: he then got a restraining order against Virginia – just like Amber Heard did to Johnny Depp, he got his claim in first. Reversing Victim with the Offender -though I doubt this case will get anything like as much publicity. It is just another woman dead as a result of domestic violence.
Epstein and Maxwell started immediately to abuse Virginia when trusting them, she’d disclosed a family friend had abused her. If you have been abused, you are vulnerable, and abusers will look for you. Robert persuaded Virginia to escape Epstein’s grasp. She saw him as a Prince Charming. He proposed marriage within 3 days of meeting her—a huge red flag.
Well done, Sixty Minutes, for portraying the full Virginia Roberts. What happened to her as a child AND as an adult. As regards domestic violence, the best book I’ve read, the best ‘self-help’ book I’ve ever read, is “Why Does He Do That?” by Lundy Bancroft – a man who has spent 30 years unpicking the manipulations and lies of domestic abusers.
If you are domestically abused or the family of someone experiencing domestic violence, read the book, as it suggests what you might do to escape safely, and might stop you from doing the wrong things if you are trying to help someone to escape.
None of this diminishes what Virginia achieved. She was the first woman to go public about Epstein and Maxwell in 2010. She wasn’t Metoo; she was the first. Her husband was just one abuser too many. I hope that her experience is a warning to girls and to those who have been abused that you are vulnerable to Prince Charming; beware, read Lundy’s book. Virginia’s autobiography, “Nobody’s Girl,” is out in October. I hope the final part doesn’t get watered down, and that the proceeds go to her children rather than her ex-husband.
#VirginiaRoberts #NobodysGirl #VirginiaGiuffre #WhyDoesHeDoThat #LundyBancroft
