Twenty-eight survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse have issued a joint statement warning they have received death threats and fear further escalation as the release of files related to the late financier approaches. The women, including 18 named individuals and 10 Jane Does, called on law enforcement to investigate and protect them.
The statement, titled 'What we’re bracing for', outlines concerns that victims will be blamed for their own abuse, that disclosures will be incomplete, and that efforts will be made to divide survivors. 'Many of us have already received death threats and other threats of harm. We are bracing for these to escalate,' the statement said.
Some survivors have spoken publicly about intimidation. Anouska De Georgiou, the first British woman to allege abuse by Epstein, told the BBC's Newsnight she had received threats since waiving her anonymity in 2019. Virginia Giuffre, a prominent survivor, reportedly faced a campaign of intimidation and death threats before her death in April.
The women also condemned recent attempts to downplay the abuse, including comments by conservative radio host Megyn Kelly questioning whether Epstein was a paedophile. 'We are already hearing efforts to suggest that victims who had reached the age of 18 were not really victims anymore,' the statement said, emphasising that vulnerability due to past trauma or poverty does not diminish the abuse.
The release of files was mandated after Donald Trump signed a bill into law, giving the Department of Justice 30 days to comply. Survivors described this as a victory but stressed the fight is not over.
