'No One Told Me I Was Safe': Epstein Survivors Appear in First Public Congressional Hearing

"“These documents hold disturbing, and yet, incomplete accounts of my abuse,” Danielle Hannah Bensky, one of the survivors, said in her opening statement. “And they were viewable not only by the entire world, but my child, my students, my students' parents, my friends, my employers, my colleagues, my family. In public. However, in my FBI-302, a Jane Doe who has never ever wanted to be revealed was exposed.”"

"One of the big controversies around Epstein's sweetheart deal is that the victims were never informed of the agreement-and instead told that the case was still under investigation. Courtney Wild, who was 14 when she first met Epstein, affirmed this detail when asked by Rep. James Walkinshaw (D-Va.) whether she had still been contacted by the DOJ even after it was decided he would face no federal charges. “Yes,” she replied. “They sent me a paper in the mail, my attorneys have it, saying it was going to be a lengthy process, saying they were doing everything they could to put him awa"

"So survivors on Tuesday appeared at a shadow hearing-for the first time-to take matters into their own hands. The public hearing took place in Palm Beach County, Florida, where survivors added detail to their stories, and talked about the infamous sweetheart deal Epstein snagged with federal prosecutors in Florida in 2008. (No Republicans were present.) As it was a shadow hearing and Dems have no subpoena power, witnesses were not compelled to testify under oath."

The Justice Department released Epstein-related files online, exposing survivors’ names, details, and nude images. Survivors reported continued harm without apology, justice, or invitations to testify. In Palm Beach County, Florida, survivors held a shadow hearing for the first time to add detail to their accounts. The hearing addressed Epstein’s 2008 “sweetheart deal” with federal prosecutors in Florida and noted that victims were not informed of the agreement. Witnesses were not compelled to testify under oath because the event was not a formal hearing with subpoena power. Survivors described how the documents were publicly viewable, including by their children, students, families, and employers, and how a previously protected identity was exposed.

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