Epstein abuse survivors slam US Justice Department over redacted files

Victims of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have sharply criticized the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) for “violating the law” after releasing hundreds of additional documents related to the late convicted sex offender that were heavily redacted.

In a statement issued on Monday, survivors said it was “alarming” that the DOJ, “the very agency tasked with upholding the law, has violated the law, both by withholding massive quantities of documents, and by failing to redact survivor identities.”

Under the Epstein Files Transparency Act passed by Congress, the Justice Department was required to release the full investigative records on Epstein and his accomplices and enablers by December 19.

While officials released thousands of pages of documents on Friday, reports said at least 550 pages were heavily redacted.

“The public received a fraction of the files, and what we received was riddled with abnormal and extreme redactions with no explanation,” the survivors’ statement said.

It added that numerous victim identities were “left unredacted, causing real and immediate harm."             

Noting that “hundreds of thousands of pages of documents are still unreleased”, they said “these are clear-cut violations of an unambiguous law.”

The statement also pointed out the partial release carried out in a manner “that made it difficult or impossible for survivors to find materials that would be most relevant to our search for accountability.”

“There has been no guidance for survivors on how to locate materials pertaining to our own cases, nor have we been provided with copies of our own files despite repeated requests.”

Referring to the lack of clear communication with the survivors or their representatives on their concerns, the statement said this “suggests an ongoing intent to keep survivors and the public in the dark as much as possible and as long as possible.”

The survivors called for oversight and accountability from Congress, stressing that "the law must be enforced".

“We call upon Congress to stand up for the rule of law. We urge immediate congressional oversight, including hearings, formal demands for compliance, and legal action, to ensure the Department of Justice fulfills its legal obligations.”

Jeffrey Epstein introduced Donald Trump to 14-year-old girl, court documents reveal

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The backlash intensified in July, when the Justice Department and the FBI announced there was no Epstein “client list” and declared that no further disclosures were “appropriate or warranted,” a statement critics described as dismissive and deeply troubling.

The controversy was further inflamed in November when House Democrats released emails indicating US President Donald Trump was aware of Epstein’s sexual misconduct and had spent time with one of his victims.

The US president denied any knowledge of or involvement in Epstein’s crimes and rejected all allegations of wrongdoing.

In November, Trump signed legislation mandating the release of "Epstein files," after fighting their release for months despite a campaign pledge to make them public.

Trump's name was barely mentioned in the documents released on Friday.

Trump and Epstein were known to have been friends for years before reportedly falling out. Trump has said he barred Epstein from his Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida, claiming Epstein “stole” young women who worked there.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the claims, saying it was “not news” that Epstein had once been a member of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club. She described the renewed scrutiny as “tired and pathetic attempts to distract from the administration’s success.”

Epstein, who was connected to numerous powerful figures, including former Israeli prime minister Ehud Barak, Britain’s Prince Andrew, and former US president Bill Clinton, was arrested in 2019 on federal charges of sex trafficking minors.

Two months later, he was found dead in a New York jail cell. His death was officially ruled a suicide, though the circumstances have fueled years of speculation about his high-profile associates and possible efforts to conceal the full scope of his crimes.

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