They don’t want to be called “brave” or “courageous”. They detest it when journalists write “Survivors say…” because there are so many of them and they don’t all say or think the same way. “Justice” means something different to each of them.
This is what I learnt spending time for BBC Newsnight in Washington, DC, with women who describe themselves as small business owners, podcasters, life coaches, mums, sisters, friends – and Epstein survivors. They were determined, frustrated and sick of being fobbed off.
There are hundreds of women who, as teenage girls and young adults, were sexually abused by the paedophile and in some cases his accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell, as well as certain members of his elite network of wealthy and powerful men.
Most of the women I met welcomed the release of the millions of emails, photos and memos that make up the Epstein files. And yet now… nothing. Not one of them has been contacted by the FBI or the US Department of Justice since the files were published. No lines of inquiry in the US appear to be being pursued. Zero arrests. So what was the point in publishing all that information? they legitimately ask.
Almost every day since Epstein’s arrest in 2019 followed by his death in custody, they see the face of the man they call a “master manipulator” and a “monster”, on websites, newspapers, their TV screen – and it’s truly painful for them. Jena-Lisa Jones is a mum of four living in Florida; she was sexually abused by Epstein when she was just 14 years of age.
“It’s hard to keep going over it all the time and seeing nothing come out of it and I think this is more re-traumatising than the actual abuse… why do you guys put us through all of this to do nothing?” she told me.
Another woman who wishes to remain anonymous said they were “nothing more than pawns for political discourse… and it’s disgusting”.
When I asked how they felt about the comparison with UK police who have made two arrests as a result of information from the files (albeit on suspicion of misconduct in public office rather than alleged abuse), they said plainly as a statement of fact, “so the police are doing their job”. I pointed out that King Charles, whose brother Andrew was accused by Virginia Guiffre of abusing her on three separate occasions (he denies wrongdoing), will be in the US on a state visit next month and had recently released a statement after his sibling’s arrest saying his “thought and sympathies have been, and will remain with, the victims and survivors of any and all forms of abuse”. But most of the women made it clear the time for warm words was over – they want action.
That trip next month by the King and Queen to celebrate the 250th anniversary of American independence is controversial, with some UK politicians calling for it to be cancelled in part because of President Donald Trump’s disparaging comments about the Prime Minister over war in the Middle East.
Yet relations between the monarch and President Trump appear to be extremely cordial after the red carpet was rolled out at Windsor Castle for the US leader in his unprecedented second state visit to the UK last September.
Could the King and Queen, while in the US, take action to aid Epstein survivors? The Queen in particular has done much excellent work in recent years for victims of domestic and sexual abuse.
What about meeting a group of them? One Democratic congressman has already suggested it.
Legally and diplomatically, it would be a minefield. The royal couple’s aides would no doubt run a mile. But what a powerful message of solidarity to those abused by members of the elite it would send out; and the message to those with power to investigate? If the King, whose own brother is being investigated, were to meet with survivors, surely the FBI and Department of Justice could too?
Watch Newsnight: The Epstein survivors speak on BBC iPlayer
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source inews.co.uk ’
