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A survivor who chose to stay anonymous as “Jane Doe” said she is embarrassed to learn that her true name was made public, days after the US Justice Department disclosed Epstein records connected to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to CNN.
The survivor claimed that in the just made public Epstein papers, her name was mentioned several times. She said that despite her repeated attempts, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has not yet redacted her identify. CNN reports that Jane Doe’s name appears in a number of documents that the DOJ made public on Friday. According to Jane Doe, her trauma has been exacerbated by unwanted phone calls she has received since the files became public. She told CNN that she contacted DOJ officials over the weekend to report that her personal information had not been redacted. The official acknowledged her message and promised to forward it to the redactions team. Her name was still available to the public as of Monday, though, when she checked in again on Sunday.
According to Jane Doe, she complained to the FBI in 2009 after witnessing and experiencing abuse at the hands of Epstein. This came after Epstein struck a contentious non-prosecution deal with federal authorities and entered a guilty plea to two state prostitution counts in Florida. Epstein was only incarcerated for 13 months as a result of that agreement, and he was permitted to leave prison every day as part of a work-release program. Epstein allegedly continued to abuse girls throughout this time, according to survivors. Jane Doe said that the DOJ’s inability to secure her identity had severely damaged her trust in the system and that she has been requesting access to her FBI file for a number of years. “It’s not just about me and what occurred, which is why I’m so impassioned. She told CNN, “I’m afraid for the little girl who’s calling the FBI right now and asking for help.” “I have no words to describe how terrified I am for her if I have to do all of this right now. I simply don’t know what to say. My heart aches from it. I am deeply haunted by it.
Together with family members of the late survivor Virginia Giuffre, Jane Doe is one of over a dozen Epstein survivors who criticised the DOJ’s handling of the file release in a joint statement on Monday. The statement highlighted the lack of financial records, “real and immediate harm” caused by victims’ identities being left unredacted, and “abnormal and extreme redactions” without justification. Additionally, survivors reported that finding records pertaining to their individual instances has been challenging or impossible. CNN has previously reported that a number of survivors were having trouble navigating the DOJ’s online “Epstein Library” and could not find information related to their abuse.
“There has been no communication with survivors or our representatives about what was withheld, why hundreds of thousands of documents were not released by the legal deadline, or how future disclosures will avoid exposing victims,” the statement continued. DOJ spokeswoman Chad Gilmartin responded to the criticism by stating that the agency has communicated with survivor organisations, victims, and their attorneys. He urged survivors to voice their concerns to officials and stated that the DOJ and the Southern District of New York are working on a complicated procedure to safeguard victims through redactions. However, MPs from both parties have harshly criticised the revelation.
Democratic Congressman Ro Khanna said the DOJ must stop shielding influential individuals who were never charged. He called for the release of FBI witness interviews that name other men allegedly linked to Epstein, along with emails seized from Epstein’s computer. Republican Congressman Thomas Massie, who co-authored the Epstein Files Transparency Act, also accused the DOJ of failing to comply with the law. In one post on X, Massie said he was being blamed for a bill that President Donald Trump eventually signed, while powerful figures remained protected. He alleged that Attorney General Pam Bondi was actively redacting and withholding parts of the Epstein files that the DOJ is legally required to release.
“While defending Bill Clinton, his banker pals, and “innocent” tourists to Rape Island, Trump is criticising me for a bill that he ultimately signed. In the meantime, he noted in an X post that Bondi is trying diligently to redact, omit, and remove Epstein material that she is legally obligated to provide under our bill. In a different piece, Massie contended that the DOJ’s document release violates the Epstein Files Transparency Act and stated that survivors should receive justice. “The survivors deserve justice,” he continued. The DOJ release does not give the survivors what the new law guarantees and does not adhere to the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
(With Inputs From ANI)
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