A woman identified only as “Jane Doe,” a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein’s abuse, expressed deep distress after discovering her name was unredacted multiple times in the Department of Justice’s recent release of Epstein files. She revealed in an exclusive interview with CNN that her efforts to have her name redacted from these public records have so far failed.
Jane Doe reported experiencing and witnessing abuse in 2009 and informed the FBI that year. This period followed Epstein’s guilty plea to state prostitution charges in Florida and a controversial non-prosecution deal with federal officials. Epstein served 13 months in jail, mostly on work release, during which abuse allegedly continued.
CNN verified Jane Doe’s name appears repeatedly in the DOJ’s disclosed documents. To protect her privacy, CNN refrained from revealing specific allegations. Since the files went public last Friday, Jane Doe has received unsolicited calls.
Over the weekend, Jane Doe alerted DOJ officials about the failure to redact her name, with responses promising to pass her concerns to the redaction team. However, as of Monday afternoon, her name remained visible in several places within the files.
Jane Doe expressed her mortification over the oversight and criticized the DOJ’s ability to safeguard victims’ identities. She stated, “I fear for the little girl who’s calling the FBI right now and asking for help… It haunts me to my core.”
Jane Doe is among over a dozen survivors and victim family members who jointly criticized the DOJ’s handling of the file release. Their statement highlighted several issues:
1. Excessive, unexplained redactions.
2. Unredacted victim names causing immediate harm.
3. Absence of financial documents.
4. Difficulty in locating case-specific materials.
Survivor advocate Jess Michaels described the DOJ’s effort as “the opposite of transparency” and said no prior communication occurred to address survivors’ concerns. DOJ spokesperson Chad Gilmartin responded that authorities continue working on redactions and encourage victims to come forward with concerns or information.
Despite official claims, many survivors report a lack of contact from the DOJ. Some lawyers have received outreach regarding redactions, but survivors find the released materials hard to navigate.
The DOJ announced ongoing efforts to release additional documents over coming weeks. Meanwhile, survivors remain cautious, with Michaels saying they intend “to pause right now and assess” further steps. Democratic Representative Ro Khanna urged the DOJ to hold powerful leads accountable and release FBI interviews and seized emails related to Epstein.
Read more at: www.cnn.com
