Why is Virginia Giuffre our Person of the Year?
She was certainly not 2025’s most powerful, most influential, most successful, most inspiring person. Far from it.
By the time she killed herself in April, aged 41, Virginia Giuffre was — self-evidently – broken.
Twenty-five years of sexual abuse, vilification, persecution, accusation, physical and mental trauma will break a person.
The astonishing thing about Virginia Giuffre is that we know her name at all. And that is because she refused to accept the role her network of persecutors thrust upon her: anonymous victim.
Her defining characteristic was not victimhood, as her many abusers assumed, but courage.
Sonia Sodha’s article in this week’s magazine reveals the depths of Virginia Giuffre’s bravery, and the inevitable tragedy contained in her resolve not to be silenced. The earthquake her truth unleashed still shakes the foundations of power to this day.
So she’s not the most powerful, most influential, most successful, most inspiring person of 2025.
But Virginia Giuffre is, in our eyes at least, the most deserving.
Elsewhere in this week’s magazine:
Paul Mason accuses Donald Trump of stabbing Europe in the back.
Zoë Grünewald points the finger accusingly at the world’s most dangerous demographic: radicalised middle-aged men.
Matthew d’Ancona believes the Tories are on course to give Nigel Farage the keys to Downing Street.
Dale Shaw goes to Margate to appreciate the wonderful Bridget Riley.
Patience Wheatcroft casts a withering eye over Kemi Badenoch.
Alastair Campbell is simmering about Gianni Infantino.
Chris Sullivan draws a straight line between Socrates and the Sex Pistols.
And Tanit Koch tells you more than you ever wanted to know about yodelling.
Have a great week. Next week is our festive special edition – don’t miss it!
