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| Jeffrey Epstein’s Victims, Denied a Trial, Vent Their Anger: ‘Justice Has Never Been Served’ | Jeffrey Epstein’s Victims, Denied a Trial, Vent Their Anger: ‘Justice Has Never Been Served’ |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| One woman was an aspiring violinist from Texas. Another was a struggling model from overseas. One woman invoked her own daughters in her remarks. Another said she had stayed single for years because of her experience. | One woman was an aspiring violinist from Texas. Another was a struggling model from overseas. One woman invoked her own daughters in her remarks. Another said she had stayed single for years because of her experience. |
| One by one, the women walked up to a podium in a packed federal courtroom in Manhattan on Tuesday, and told their story of how the financier Jeffrey Epstein had abused them, and then had leveraged his power and wealth to silence them, sometimes for years. For many, it was their first time speaking about their experience in public. | One by one, the women walked up to a podium in a packed federal courtroom in Manhattan on Tuesday, and told their story of how the financier Jeffrey Epstein had abused them, and then had leveraged his power and wealth to silence them, sometimes for years. For many, it was their first time speaking about their experience in public. |
| Mr. Epstein was not there, having killed himself in jail two weeks ago. But more than 16 of his accusers showed up at a routine hearing about dismissing the indictment to talk about the distress they had endured and a criminal justice system that they said had failed them. | Mr. Epstein was not there, having killed himself in jail two weeks ago. But more than 16 of his accusers showed up at a routine hearing about dismissing the indictment to talk about the distress they had endured and a criminal justice system that they said had failed them. |
| Many expressed anger that Mr. Epstein had robbed them of the chance to confront him in court after he hanged himself with a bedsheet. “For that, he is a coward,” one of the women, Courtney Wild, said. | Many expressed anger that Mr. Epstein had robbed them of the chance to confront him in court after he hanged himself with a bedsheet. “For that, he is a coward,” one of the women, Courtney Wild, said. |
| “I feel very angry and sad,” Ms. Wild added. “Justice has never been served in this case.” | “I feel very angry and sad,” Ms. Wild added. “Justice has never been served in this case.” |
| The hearing was a moment of catharsis in a criminal proceeding that had attracted intense national attention because of Mr. Epstein’s ties to several wealthy and powerful people, including President Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew of Britain. | The hearing was a moment of catharsis in a criminal proceeding that had attracted intense national attention because of Mr. Epstein’s ties to several wealthy and powerful people, including President Trump, former President Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew of Britain. |
| Several of Mr. Epstein’s accusers told how they had been coerced at a young age into having sex with him for money, then were pressured through threats and promises of career help to continue seeing him. “These are things that so many girls can relate to,” said one of the women, speaking anonymously. “Change needs to happen.” | Several of Mr. Epstein’s accusers told how they had been coerced at a young age into having sex with him for money, then were pressured through threats and promises of career help to continue seeing him. “These are things that so many girls can relate to,” said one of the women, speaking anonymously. “Change needs to happen.” |
| Mr. Epstein’s suicide was particularly galling for his accusers because he had escaped federal prosecution on similar charges in Florida in 2008, when he reached a widely criticized plea bargain with the United States attorney in Miami. Under that deal, Mr. Epstein pleaded guilty to two state charges, including soliciting a minor for prostitution, and served 13 months in a local jail, where he was allowed out on work-release six days a week. | |
| Then in July, the possibility that he might face a stiffer punishment was rekindled, as prosecutors in Manhattan, who had reopened the investigation, charged Mr. Epstein, 66, with sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy. The indictment said that between 2002 and 2005 he paid dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, to have sex with him at his mansions in New York and his compound in Palm Beach, Fla. | Then in July, the possibility that he might face a stiffer punishment was rekindled, as prosecutors in Manhattan, who had reopened the investigation, charged Mr. Epstein, 66, with sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy. The indictment said that between 2002 and 2005 he paid dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, to have sex with him at his mansions in New York and his compound in Palm Beach, Fla. |
| The actress Anouska De Georgiou said she was appearing in court out of a spirit of solidarity. “I am every girl he did this to, and they are all me,” she said, “and today we stand together.” | The actress Anouska De Georgiou said she was appearing in court out of a spirit of solidarity. “I am every girl he did this to, and they are all me,” she said, “and today we stand together.” |
| Several of the women turned toward prosecutors during their remarks and urged them to continue investigating Mr. Epstein’s employees and associates, who they said had helped lure them into Mr. Epstein’s scheme. “Please, finish what you have started,” said Sarah Ransome, another of Mr. Epstein’s accusers. | Several of the women turned toward prosecutors during their remarks and urged them to continue investigating Mr. Epstein’s employees and associates, who they said had helped lure them into Mr. Epstein’s scheme. “Please, finish what you have started,” said Sarah Ransome, another of Mr. Epstein’s accusers. |
| Prosecutors assured the court that the investigation would continue into others who are believed to have aided Mr. Epstein in his long-running sex-trafficking scheme, helping to procure dozens of teenage girls and women. | Prosecutors assured the court that the investigation would continue into others who are believed to have aided Mr. Epstein in his long-running sex-trafficking scheme, helping to procure dozens of teenage girls and women. |
| The dismissal of Mr. Epstein’s case “in no way prohibits or inhibits the government’s ongoing investigation into other potential co-conspirators, nor does it prevent the bringing of a new case in the future,” a government prosecutor, Maurene Comey, said. She added those inquiries “have been ongoing, remain ongoing and will continue.” | The dismissal of Mr. Epstein’s case “in no way prohibits or inhibits the government’s ongoing investigation into other potential co-conspirators, nor does it prevent the bringing of a new case in the future,” a government prosecutor, Maurene Comey, said. She added those inquiries “have been ongoing, remain ongoing and will continue.” |
| Judge Richard M. Berman had scheduled the hearing on Tuesday after federal prosecutors wrote to him last week, saying that in light of Mr. Epstein’s death, they planned to drop the criminal charges against him — a decision that requires a judge’s approval. Noting the intense public interest in the case, he invited victims to speak. | Judge Richard M. Berman had scheduled the hearing on Tuesday after federal prosecutors wrote to him last week, saying that in light of Mr. Epstein’s death, they planned to drop the criminal charges against him — a decision that requires a judge’s approval. Noting the intense public interest in the case, he invited victims to speak. |
| “I believe it is the court’s responsibility, and manifestly within its purview, to ensure the victims in this case are treated fairly and with dignity,” he said at the start of the hearing. | “I believe it is the court’s responsibility, and manifestly within its purview, to ensure the victims in this case are treated fairly and with dignity,” he said at the start of the hearing. |
| The judge, in a brief order, said he wanted to hold the hearing because the public might still have an “interest in the process by which the prosecutor seeks dismissal of an indictment.” | The judge, in a brief order, said he wanted to hold the hearing because the public might still have an “interest in the process by which the prosecutor seeks dismissal of an indictment.” |
| The judge did not elaborate, but his statement seemed to acknowledge the extraordinary public interest in the questions surrounding Mr. Epstein’s death and the future of the government’s broader investigation into his associates. | The judge did not elaborate, but his statement seemed to acknowledge the extraordinary public interest in the questions surrounding Mr. Epstein’s death and the future of the government’s broader investigation into his associates. |
| Judge Berman said in the order that he wanted to hear from the prosecution and the lawyers who had been representing Mr. Epstein, and he also invited Mr. Epstein’s accusers and their lawyers to address the court if they wished to. | Judge Berman said in the order that he wanted to hear from the prosecution and the lawyers who had been representing Mr. Epstein, and he also invited Mr. Epstein’s accusers and their lawyers to address the court if they wished to. |
| As if to underscore the wide interest in the matter, the hearing was moved from the judge’s regular courtroom to a much larger one that is typically used for the high-profile cases. | As if to underscore the wide interest in the matter, the hearing was moved from the judge’s regular courtroom to a much larger one that is typically used for the high-profile cases. |
| Mr. Epstein was found dead around 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 10 after apparently hanging himself with a bedsheet in his jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he was being held pending trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. | Mr. Epstein was found dead around 6:30 a.m. on Aug. 10 after apparently hanging himself with a bedsheet in his jail cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he was being held pending trial on sex trafficking and conspiracy charges. |
| Law enforcement officials say he had not been checked on for about three hours, a violation of jail protocol. The city medical examiner said on Aug. 16 that it had determined Mr. Epstein died by suicide. | Law enforcement officials say he had not been checked on for about three hours, a violation of jail protocol. The city medical examiner said on Aug. 16 that it had determined Mr. Epstein died by suicide. |
| The news of Mr. Epstein’s death — and the circumstances surrounding it — sent shock waves through the justice system and prompted an outcry in Congress and investigations by the F.B.I. and the Justice Department’s inspector general. | The news of Mr. Epstein’s death — and the circumstances surrounding it — sent shock waves through the justice system and prompted an outcry in Congress and investigations by the F.B.I. and the Justice Department’s inspector general. |
| Attorney General William P. Barr called the shortcomings at the jail “serious irregularities,” and pledged to determine why Mr. Epstein was apparently left unsupervised just weeks after he was taken off suicide watch after an apparent initial attempt at killing himself on July 23. | Attorney General William P. Barr called the shortcomings at the jail “serious irregularities,” and pledged to determine why Mr. Epstein was apparently left unsupervised just weeks after he was taken off suicide watch after an apparent initial attempt at killing himself on July 23. |
| “We will get to the bottom of what happened and there will be accountability,” Mr. Barr said after Mr. Epstein’s death. | “We will get to the bottom of what happened and there will be accountability,” Mr. Barr said after Mr. Epstein’s death. |