Victims of Jeffrey Epstein shared heartbreaking testimonies of sexual abuse as they spoke before the US Capitol and called on lawmakers to release more files related to the convicted sex offender. According to the BBC, one of the women, Lisa Phillips, said the group had begun compiling a confidential list of Epstein associates who they say were involved in the abuse.
“We will confidentially compile the names that we all know were regularly in Epstein’s world,” she said. “It will be done by victims, and for victims.” The event was organized by American lawmakers calling for more files from the Epstein investigation to be made public, the BBC report states.
“I worked for Epstein from 14 to 17, then he decided I was too old – A dream job became my worst nightmare”
During the two-hour press conference on Wednesday, nine women who accuse Epstein described in detail their experiences and abuse by the disgraced financier.
Phillips urged the Justice Department to release all documents and information it has from the investigation, adding that many victims feared retaliation if they disclosed names themselves.
A lawyer for the accusers added that they were afraid of being sued or attacked because “no one protected them the first time”.
Marina Lacerda, speaking publicly for the first time, said she worked for Epstein from age 14 to 17, when the financier decided she was “too old”.
“I was one of dozens of girls I personally know who were forced to enter Jeffrey’s mansion… in New York when we were just children,” she said.
“A friend in my neighborhood told me I could make $300 to massage some other guy,” said Lacerda, visibly emotional. “A dream job became my worst nightmare.”
The political dimensions of the Epstein case
Liz Stein, who sued Epstein and Maxwell and now works as a victim and policy advisor, told the BBC she spoke at the Capitol rally to “humanize” the victims because she was tired of being ignored. “It’s really important for all of us to remember that this is a crime. It’s a sex trafficking crime. This is not a political issue, but it gets politicized because of the people involved,” Stein said, as reported by the BBC.
Annie Farmer, 46, told the press conference she was taken to New Mexico at age 16 to spend a weekend with Epstein. Her sister was also taken there and reported the abuse, she said, but nothing was done.
“We still don’t know why this report wasn’t properly investigated, or why Epstein and his associates were allowed to harm hundreds, if not thousands, of other girls and young women,” she said.
References to the Epstein-Trump relationship
Chauntae Davies was asked to respond to a question about the relationship between Trump and Epstein, saying Epstein’s biggest boast “was always that he was very good friends with Donald Trump”. “He had a framed photo of him in his office, with the two of them,” she said.
But during an NBC discussion with a group of victims on Tuesday, none of the women said they ever saw or heard Trump do anything inappropriate regarding Epstein.
Trump was friendly with Epstein, but has said they fell out in the early 2000s because the financier “stole” employees from Trump’s Florida golf club spa.
“This is a Democratic lie that never ends,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Wednesday when asked about the press conference. He said “no one is ever satisfied” with the files that have been released, adding that the issue is a distraction from his record in office. “Really, I think that’s enough,” Trump said.
Release of Epstein case files – What is alleged
On Tuesday night, 33,000 pages and several videos were released by the House Oversight Committee, which had summoned the Justice Department. Most of the files, however, were already in the public domain.
The top Democrat on the committee, Robert Garcia, said: “Don’t be misled by this.
“After careful review, Oversight Democrats found that 97% of the documents obtained from the Justice Department were already public.
“There is no reference to any client list or anything that improves transparency or justice for victims.”
Tuesday’s revelation followed last month’s release of the Justice Department’s interview with Ghislaine Maxwell, a convicted sex trafficker and Epstein associate. In the transcripts – which run 300 pages, some largely redacted – Maxwell said that while she believed Trump and Epstein were friendly in social settings, she didn’t believe they were close friends.
Legislative actions
Two House members, Republican Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Ro Khanna of California, are trying to force a vote to compel the Justice Department to release all documents in the case. They were collecting signatures on Wednesday and will need support from 218 lawmakers to prevail. This means six Republicans must vote for the plan.
“It’s a shame this has been characterized as a lie. This is not a lie,” Massie said. “There are real victims of this criminal enterprise and the perpetrators are being protected because they are wealthy and powerful.”
The White House and Republican leaders in Congress oppose releasing all the files, saying it could expose the identities of innocent people.
Source: BBC
