Alleged victims of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, who killed himself this month in his federal jail cell, shared their stories Tuesday in a Manhattan courtroom.
Courtney Wild said Epstein sexually abused her for years.
His suicide “robbed” victims of the chance “to confront him one by one” in court, said Wild, the first accuser to speak at the hearing. “For that, he is a coward.”
Another woman said Epstein was “strategic in how he approached us.”
“Each of us has a different story and different circumstances as to why we stayed in it,” the woman, identified in court only as Jane Doe 2, said. “It was like the analogy where the frog is in the pot and the heat goes up over time.”
Close to 30 women are expected to speak at the hearing.
U.S. District Judge Richard Berman, who oversaw the case against Epstein before his Aug. 10 death, invited alleged victims and their attorneys to attend the hearing after prosecutors asked that he scrap charges against the defendant since he is dead.
Another told the court that she thinks Epstein’s victims “will never heal” from what they endured, a view echoed by others.
“He could not begin to fathom what he took from us,” said one accuser. “I am every girl that he did this to and they are me, today we stand together.”
Another woman, identified as Jane Doe 5, read a letter that she wrote to Epstein.
“I will never be able to get over the overwhelming emotions and embarrassment from that drama,” she said.
Prosecutors said at the start of the hearing that a dismissal of the case against Epstein would not prohibit the government from investigating the alleged conspiracy related to the multimillionaire financier’s alleged sex trafficking.
“The investigation into those matters has been ongoing, is ongoing, and will continue,” said a prosecutor for the Southern District of New York.
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U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said Epstein’s death was “a rather stunning turn of events” and that giving the women a chance to speak was a matter of law and “respect.”
“I believe it is the court’s responsibility and in its purview that the victims in the case are dealt with, with dignity and with humanity,” he said.
Epstein, 66, was arrested July 6 on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. Prosecutors say he sexually abused dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, from at least 2002 through 2005. He was also accused of paying his victims to recruit others, allowing him to build a vast network of girls to exploit.
One accuser who wants to remain anonymous and is represented by lawyer Lisa Bloom, said in a statement prior to the start of Tuesday’s hearing that Epstein’s killing himself “denied everyone justice.”
“I cannot say that I am pleased he committed suicide, but I am at peace knowing that he will not be able to hurt anyone else,” the woman said in the statement. “I do not want the narrative to be ‘those poor girls.’ … I want some sort of closure for those of us who will relive those horrible moments where we were assaulted, abused, and taken advantage of by Epstein,” the statement continued.
Bloom announced prior to the hearing that none of her clients would be attending as they wish to remain anonymous.
Epstein was charged with one count of sex trafficking conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking. He faced up to 45 years in prison if found guilty. He pleaded not guilty and was denied bail.
His death in his jail cell was ruled a suicide by hanging.
He had been placed on suicide watch in July after he was found in his cell semiconscious with marks on his neck. He was later taken off suicide watch after being evaluated by a doctoral-level psychologist, the Justice Department said in a letter to Congress.
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