Prince Andrew accuser leaves Twitter as she claims to be target of 'hatred and abuse'

Prince Andrew accuser Virginia Roberts Giuffre announced she was leaving Twitter on Monday, claiming she was being targeted with "hatred and abuse".

Ms Giuffre, 37, a trafficked sex slave of the late financier Jeffrey Epstein, alleges she was forced to have sex with the Duke three times, claims he strongly denies.

“Too much hatred & abusive gaslighting,” Ms Giuffre tweeted on Monday. “I just can’t right now. For my own health. Well done Prince Andrew team & Trump trolls-you’ve successfully done your job.”

It came after reports the Duke’s adviser reached out to an online campaigner who claimed to have evidence the photograph of the Duke with Ms Giuffre was doctored.

Mark Gallagher, the Duke’s crisis management specialist, is said to have made contact with Molly Skye Brown, who claims to have been groomed by Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell and publicly alleges that Ms Roberts is not a victim but a “prostitute” who “trafficked” others.

Maxwell, awaiting trial on child-trafficking charges, denies the claim.

The possibility of setting up a fake Twitter account to ensnare the woman they suspect of altering the now infamous picture of the Duke with his arm around Ms Giuffre was discussed, it is claimed.

“It takes all kind of evil to feel the need to continually batter a survivor of sexual abuse. The lowest of the low,” Ms Giuffre tweeted on Sunday. “Very tired of these people who are only out to attempt to make me suffer further.”

The Duke's representatives did not respond to a Telegraph request for comment but a source claimed that the conversations were “not out of the ordinary” and it went no further than “an initial discussion”.