Six years ago, notorious sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was found dead in his jail cell. This came a month after Epstein was arrested on federal sex trafficking charges. His arrest had been a long time coming, as law enforcement was aware of his crimes for nearly a decade. There had also been increased calls by the public for his arrest since 2018, as multiple women — many underage at the time of the crime — accused him of sexual abuse.
Since then, people across the country have called for the release of the “Epstein files” — classified information related to Epstein’s criminal case and a list of his trafficking clients. After several empty promises made by President Donald Trump’s administration to start releasing the files, nothing new has been published. The Trump administration must release the Epstein files as soon as possible so that the associates of Epstein’s sex crimes can be held accountable for their actions.
According to the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network, an estimated 423,000 people over the age of 12 experience sexual violence each year in the U.S., and 98% of their perpetrators walk free. This is a massive problem in the U.S., and the lack of accountability for these criminals harms everyone.
By releasing the Epstein files and the list of Epstein’s clients, the public can bring due justice to survivors and spur more action regarding sex-related criminal cases. Holding public figures accountable sets the precedent that no one is above the law or too powerful to commit crimes with impunity. Additionally, light will be shed on unsolved and unprosecuted cases relating to sexual violence and misconduct.
In a press conference on Sept. 3, eight of the survivors of Epstein and his associates’ abuse stood in front of Capitol Hill. The survivors advocated for a bipartisan effort by Reps. Thomas Massie and Ro Khanna to force a vote by the House of Representatives requiring the Department of Justice to release all files related to Epstein.
Speaking at the press conference, Anouska De Georgiou, one of the eight, said, “You have a choice. Stand with the truth or with the lies that have protected predators for decades.”
These brave women stood up for themselves and sought justice. They are not the only ones; in a poll conducted by the Washington Post, 67% of Americans “strongly support” releasing the Epstein files, while 19% of Americans “somewhat support” releasing the files. Not only do the survivors of Epstein’s abuse want the files to be released, but so do the majority of Americans.
At the press conference, another survivor, Lisa Phillips, mentioned that the victims have plans to create their own version of “the list” of clients Epstein had if the official documents are not released. “We know the names; many of us were abused by them,” said Phillips.
With all the ground gained during the #MeToo movement, it is unacceptable that the federal government is hiding the details of a sexual abuse case that was closed seven years ago. By doing so, the Trump administration is shielding Epstein’s associates from receiving any retribution for their actions. Faith has been lost in the Trump administration’s handling of the files. For people in the U.S. and around the world, the files’ release is critical for the public so that these criminals can be held accountable for their crimes, motivate prosecutors to take more action towards unresolved cases and encourage people to report sex crimes against them.
