Woman who accused high-profile twins of sexual assault found dead in Australia

The first woman to publicly accuse high-profile twins Oren and Alon Alexander of sexual assault was found dead in Australia late last year, according to new reports. Kate Whiteman sued the men in March 2024, alleging they sexually assaulted her in the state of New York in 2012. Months later they were arrested alongside their older brother and charged with sex trafficking offences.An investigation into the death of Whiteman, 45, by the New South Wales coroner's office has now concluded, finding her death was not suspicious.The Alexander brothers - who deny wrongdoing and have pleaded not guilty to the criminal charges - will face trial at the end of this month.The coroner's office said they could not provide any further information about Whiteman's death, out of consideration for bereaved family members.It is unclear what role, if any, Whiteman was due to play in the prosecution case. The BBC has contacted prosecutors for comment.A PR representative for the Alexander brothers said they were unaware of Whiteman's death."The decision to release this information publicly on the eve of trial invites obvious questions," they said.Older brother, Tal, and Oren Alexander have worked for real estate giant Douglas Elliman, listing properties for celebrities including Liam Gallagher, Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West. In 2022, they founded their own New York-based firm called Official. Alon worked at the family's private security firm, Kent Security.A day after Whiteman made her accusations, a second woman, Rebecca Mandel, also brought a lawsuit against Oren and Alon, alleging that the pair drugged and assaulted her at a party in 2010. In the following months, a series of other women came forward to news publications with accusations of sexual assault against all three brothers. Many also claimed they were drugged.As of February 2025, the New York Times said that at least 17 women had filed civil lawsuits against one or more of the brothers, with accusations of assault in Miami, Manhattan and even Moscow.All allegations have been denied by all three Alexander brothers.In December 2024, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) arrested and charged all three brothers, who now face more than 10 sex trafficking offences.In their initial indictment, prosecutors alleged that from at least 2010, the three brothers "worked together and with others to engage in sex trafficking, including by repeatedly drugging, sexually assaulting, and raping dozens of female victims".At their arraignment in February 2025, prosecutors told the judge they intended to update their case with additional alleged victims, saying they had interviewed more than 60 women who say at least one of the brothers raped them.An attorney for one of the brothers told BBC partner CBS the charges were an "overreach" by the government and "in no way" amounted to sex trafficking."We have no doubt the evidence will prove that these are all false allegations and the Alexanders are innocent," they said.They have been held without bail in Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Centre for the past 13 months, with their trial is set to begin on 26 January.