Amy Wallace, writer: We all need to speak up

“We all need to be speaking up about it. Not just the survivors. And we put so much burden on the people who've actually suffered the most, the most vulnerable among us.”

Naga Munchetty speaks to Amy Wallace, co-author of Virginia Giuffre’s memoir Nobody's Girl. Giuffre accused the then Prince Andrew, and late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, of sexual abuse. The former prince, now Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, told Newsnight in 2019 that he did not remember meeting Giuffre, and he has strenuously denied any wrongdoing. Virginia Giuffre's father has also denied all allegations of abuse.

The memoir, published six months after Giuffre took her own life, describes her encounters with Epstein and his former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Amy Wallace says she expected to be a ghostwriter in the shadows, but after Giuffre’s death, she decided to step forward and speak up for her.

This episode discusses rape and sexual abuse.

If this episode has affected you there are people who can give you support. If you’re in the UK search for the BBC’s Actionline or outside the UK search for befrienders.org

Thank you to the team at BBC Radio 5 Live with Naga Munchetty for their help in making this programme.

The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC, including episodes with writer Maggie O’Farrell, Sierra Leone’s first lady Fatima Bio and head of the World Health Organisation Dr Tedros. You can listen on the BBC World Service on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays at 0800 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out three times a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Naga Munchetty
Producer: Cordelia Hemming
Editor: Damon Rose

(Image: Amy Wallace. Credit: Patricia Shields)