Survivors Deserve Better

This letter to the editor, by John Krizek, appeared in the Hudson Star Observer on November 27, 2025.

At last, Congress has voted to release the Epstein files. But this long overdue act raises troubling questions. How come pedophiles with wealth and connections could hide in fortified mansions, evading exposure and accountability? How come crime victims believed they must hide or be scorned? Why did law enforcement and the courts fail crime victims? How come lawmakers, rather than prosecutors or judges, had to unveil evidence of years-long child sex abuse? Why would any President oppose outing sexual predators? To shield himself? To protect allies? Did he change course only because of overwhelming political and public pressure? Mr. Trump’s obstruction deepened the wounds, and it delayed the reckoning survivors deserve. Congressional action followed years of inaction or cover-ups by those entrusted with safeguarding our society.

Surely, our Founding Fathers never imagined Congress would need to intervene just to shed light on individuals who allowed children to be sexually abused.

Department of Justice documents confirm Epstein victimized over a thousand girls and women. Institutions charged with protecting them looked away, settling rather than pursuing justice. Many of Epstein’s well-connected associates never faced real criminal consequences. Errors in law enforcement, prosecutorial reluctance, and deliberate cover-ups gave Epstein’s network free rein.

Society’s brokenness is evident. Countless girls and women feared speaking out, terrified of backlash and stigma. The wealthy accused exploited non-disclosure agreements to silence survivor’s even though NDAs cannot legally prevent crime victims from seeking justice. And where were the parents? Reports and memoirs show a tragic variety of circumstances: some parents were deceived or bought off, while others were unaware or overwhelmed. Perpetrators groomed both victims and their families, blurring responsibility.

After repeated failures at every societal level, releasing the Epstein files is a step toward justice. But for justice truly to be done, we must confront and change how powerful predators could buy silence, manipulate legal institutions, and avoid consequences for so long. We owe survivors a fundamental overhaul of accountability and support systems. Only then will Congress’s vote represent the beginning and the end of this atrocity — not just a recognition of how far we have yet to go.