Survivors Push for Epstein Files Release as Congress Faces Pressure
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse gathered this week on the steps of the U.S. Capitol, demanding that lawmakers release thousands of still-sealed documents related to the late financier’s crimes. Their voices carried both pain and urgency, as they shared deeply personal stories and called for transparency that, they say, could protect others in the future.
Marina Lacerda, one of the first women to publicly accuse Epstein, spoke for the first time about her own experience. She recalled being only 14 years old when she was recruited under the guise of an easy job, told she could make $300 giving a massage to an older man. What began as a hopeful chance to support her struggling family quickly became, in her words, a nightmare. By age 17, she was told by Epstein that she was “too old.” Years later, she explained that files locked away by the government may contain details of her abuse that even she has never seen. The thought that officials know more about her suffering than she does has made healing nearly impossible, she said.
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Standing alongside her, another survivor, Anouska De Georgiou, made it clear that she was speaking not just for herself, but also for those who, as she put it, “could not continue.” She invoked the memory of Virginia Giuffre, the Australian woman whose name became synonymous with the fight for justice in this case before her tragic death earlier this year. For De Georgiou, the release of these files is not about revenge—it is about setting standards of justice, deterring future harm, and protecting vulnerable young people.
Their appeal came as pressure mounts in Congress. The U.S. House of Representatives, narrowly controlled by Republicans, is facing calls from both Democrats and some within its own ranks to bring forward the Epstein Files Transparency Act. If passed, it would make a new wave of documents public. Already, more than 33,000 pages have been released by a congressional committee, but lawyers for survivors argue that the most explosive evidence remains sealed behind protective orders and confidentiality agreements. According to attorney Bradley Edwards, the public will be “appalled” once those records are finally seen.
Political tensions, however, remain high. Former President Donald Trump, who continues to wield significant influence within the Republican Party, has dismissed the survivors’ press conference as a “Democrat hoax.” His comments drew anger from the women, who insisted that their stories are not political gamesmanship, but lived reality. “This is not a hoax,” Lacerda declared. “It’s not going to go away.”
Even within Trump’s own party, cracks are showing. Firebrand congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene vowed to read the names of Epstein’s accomplices aloud in Congress if necessary. Meanwhile, Republicans face mounting public and political pressure to act.
The survivors’ demand is simple: full disclosure. They argue that hidden truths cannot stay buried, and only through openness can justice be served. As crowds stood outside the Capitol to watch them speak, their message was clear—this fight is far from over, and the silence surrounding Epstein’s crimes will no longer be tolerated.
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