Epstein Victims Upset About Lack of Transparency in Newly Released Files

Several victims of Jeffrey Epstein stated on Friday that the Department of Justice had disappointed them with its partial release of files related to federal investigations into Epstein's long-standing sexual abuse of teenage girls and young women. They claimed that the release of thousands of heavily redacted pages of photographs and documents provided little new information about the investigations or the extent of Epstein's crimes or accomplices.

"They confirm everything we have said about corruption and delayed justice," said Jess Michaels, one of Epstein's first known victims. "What are they protecting? The ongoing cover-up."

Ms. Michaels said she was sexually assaulted by Epstein in 1991 when she was 22 years old and training to become a dancer. She was among the victims who advocated for the bipartisan law that ordered the Department of Justice to release nearly everything it had gathered during its investigations into sex trafficking involving Epstein and one of his main accomplices, Ghislaine Maxwell.

But the more than 13,000 files released on Friday were heavily redacted and difficult to search.

"If everything is redacted, where is the transparency?" said Marijke Chartouni, who said she was sexually abused by Epstein at age 20.

Among the tens of thousands of pages, one document offered a long-awaited window into the FBI's handling of the Epstein case: the file showed that Maria Farmer, another of Epstein's early victims, had filed a federal complaint for "child pornography" against him in 1996. But investigators did not begin seriously examining Epstein until about ten years later.

Ms. Farmer, who fought for years to have the FBI release her complaint publicly, said she felt "vindicated" to finally see the document but also devastated to learn that the FBI had not acted on her complaint.

"It is a huge relief that she no longer has to fight to prove her truth," said Annie Farmer, Maria Farmer's sister. However, she noted her disappointment with the overall lack of transparency in Friday's release.

"Many photos are unrelated," said Marina Larcerda, who said Epstein sexually abused her at age 14. She was an important witness in the 2019 federal investigation that led to sex trafficking charges against Epstein. But she only recently made her story public.

"We were disappointed," said Ms. Larcerda. "We were waiting for this day to bring to justice those other men who were protected."