On September 3, 2025, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse gathered on Capitol Hill in Washington DC. Their purpose was clear: to demand transparency, accountability, and the recognition of what crime had been committed against them—sex trafficking. The women who were abused as teenagers by Epstein and his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell shared their stories through tears. They urged lawmakers to support the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act.
Survivors say political posturing and government inaction still undermine their pursuit of justice, despite years of testimony, mounting evidence, and Ghislaine Maxwell’s convictions. This failure tells all survivors of trafficking that society can disregard their voices, minimize their pain, and deny them accountability. Worse, it emboldens traffickers to abuse and exploit victims with no fear of consequences, while making survivors afraid to come forward. Many will be forced to suffer in silence, allowing trafficking in all its forms to continue unchecked.
A pattern of silencing victims and abusing power
Federal prosecutors charged Epstein with running a sex trafficking operation that lured dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, to his homes in New York and Florida. By getting his victims to recruit others, “Epstein created a vast network of underage victims for him to sexually exploit.”
Jennifer Freeman represents several survivors, including Maria Farmer—the first to report Epstein to the FBI in 1996. Freeman said the government’s failures remain glaring. In an interview for PBS, Freeman stated,
Maria did what every citizen is supposed to do when their crime is being committed, especially against children. And she reported to the FBI. And what did they do? Absolutely nothing. That’s unacceptable. That’s clear negligence.
Freeman added that officials continue to obstruct justice, delaying her Freedom of Information Act requests until at least 2027. “This is not a political issue. There have been five administrations since Maria came forward. There’s no reason it should be politicized at every turn,” added Freeman.
“No more sweeping this under the rug”
Liz Stein, one of the women abused by Epstein, described how coming together with other survivors has strengthened their voices. But those voices are still being sidelined. “This is not a political issue. This is a crime. And the crime is sex trafficking,” Stein said.
Survivors and their advocates are pressing for full transparency, including the release of all Epstein-related files, and for lawsuits against the government to move forward.
We must treat this case as what it is: sex trafficking. We end sexual exploitation only by believing survivors, giving them space to share their stories, and ensuring justice. When people dismiss, politicize, or obscure the crimes of Epstein and Maxwell, they send a chilling message to trafficking survivors everywhere that accountability and transparency are impossible. We cannot allow that fear to take root. Demanding justice for Epstein’s survivors means demanding justice for all survivors—and we will accept nothing less.
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