‘Help Me Heal!’ Epstein Victim Speaks Publicly for First Time – Makes Emotional Plea for Release of DOJ Files
Jeffrey Epstein survivor Marina Lacerda made an emotional plea in Washington D.C. on Tuesday for the release of Epstein-related documents that she said would help her “begin to heal” from the trauma she experienced during her years of abuse.
Her testimony came as part of a press conference hosted by Reps. Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA) as they mount a rare bipartisan push to compel the Justice Department to release Epstein files. Massie has filed a discharge petition to force a vote, and Khanna has predicted that every Democrat and at least a handful of Republicans will sign on.
Taking the stage and identifying herself as “Minor Victim One” from Epstein’s 2019 indictment, Lacerda spoke publicly for the first time — detailing how she’d been “forced into Jeffrey’s mansion on 9 East 78th Street in New York City” when she was a young teenager.
Calling for the release of the files, Lacerda grew emotional as she detailed her personal journey, making the case that a release of files was more than just about justice as much as a chance for victims to “put the pieces” of their lives “back together”:
There are many pieces of my story that I can’t remember. No matter how hard I try, the constant state of wonder causes me so much fear and so much confusion. My therapist says that my brain is just trying to protect itself, but it’s so hard to begin to heal knowing that there are people out there who know more about my abuse than I do. The worst part is that the government is still in possession right now of the documents and information that could help me remember and get over all of this, maybe, and help me heal.
They have documents with my name on them that were confiscated from Jeffrey Epstein’s house, and could help me put the pieces of my own life back together, but I don’t have any of it. And I know the same is true for many of these women.
We are here to support this bill today, not only for transparency, but for the American people.
Rounding on the government she demanded that the “least” the Trump administration could do is to release “unredacted” documents to the victims:
If the government is going to release these documents to the public describing the crimes committed by Jeffrey Epstein and others, the least they can do is give me my documents that they have about me.
The other survivors deserve the same respect from our government. While our identifying information must be redacted to the public, it is equally important to provide the victims themselves with unredacted information.
The press conference comes just one day after the House Oversight Committee released 30,000 pages of Epstein-related records this week, much of which was already public and has done little to stem the demand for a full release.
Watch above via MSNBC.
