Victim speaks out Serious error in Epstein files causes new uproar
There is no end to the criticism of the publication of the Epstein files. Now one of the victims herself is speaking out - because her name appears several times in the documents without redaction.
No time? blue News summarizes for you
- In the published Epstein files, the name of one victim is mentioned several times without redaction.
- The victim is horrified and speaks of a serious breach of trust.
- Victim advocates accuse the US Department of Justice of sloppy work and a lack of victim protection.
The controversy surrounding the publication of the so-called Epstein files is growing. Now the US Department of Justice is being criticized for another serious error: in the released documents, the name of a victim of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is mentioned several times without redaction. This was reported by the US broadcaster CNN.
The woman concerned contacted the broadcaster herself after discovering her name in the files. For security reasons, CNN does not refer to her by her real name, but by the pseudonym "Jane Doe", which is common in the USA. She became a victim of Epstein in 2009 and reported the abuse to the FBI in the same year.
The case is particularly controversial because Epstein had already been convicted once at the time. Nevertheless, he was allowed to serve a large part of his sentence while out of prison - a phase in which, according to several testimonies, he again abused young women.
"I have no words, it breaks my heart"
After the partial publication of the files on Friday, Jane Doe contacted the Department of Justice by email and requested that her name be removed immediately. However, her name remained visible in the documents until at least Monday.
The woman expressed her deep sorrow to CNN. She said the mistake had shaken her trust in the authorities. "I'm so emotionally touched because it's not just about me," she said. "I'm very worried about the little girl who's calling the FBI right now asking for help. If I have to go through all this right now ... I'm at a loss for words. It breaks my heart."
Victims' lawyers had already criticized shortly after the publication that the Department of Justice had shown little consideration for the perspective of those affected when preparing the documents. In addition to inadequate protection of identities, they criticized the fact that it was hardly possible for victims to find specific information about their own cases in the mass of documents.
The incident that has now come to light is all the more serious because a large proportion of the files have been extensively redacted. Critics accuse the government of concealing possible references to prominent names in this way. It seems all the more problematic that the names of the victims, of all people, were not consistently protected - even though the authorities were legally obliged to do so.
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Justice told CNN that "great efforts" were being made to protect victims by redacting their names. They are also in contact with those affected and their lawyers. The responsible Justice Minister Pam Bondi has not yet commented publicly on the new allegations.
