Epstein's Accusers 'Angry' and Frustrated He Won't Be Alive to Face Justice

By Phil McCausland and Nicole Acevedo, NBC News

10 August 19

"We have to live with the scars of his actions for the rest of our lives, while he will never face the consequences of the crimes he committed," one victim said.

effrey Epstein's alleged victims said they would have preferred their day in court over Saturday's news that the millionaire financier and accused sex trafficker died by apparent suicide in his New York City jail cell.

Jennifer Araoz, who accused Epstein of raping her when she was 15 after she was recruited outside her New York City high school, said his death does little for the deep scars that she and her fellow victims still carry.

“I am angry Jeffrey Epstein won’t have to face his survivors of his abuse in court," she said in a statement. "We have to live with the scars of his actions for the rest of our lives, while he will never face the consequences of the crimes he committed, the pain and trauma he caused so many people. Epstein is gone, but justice must still be served. I hope the authorities will pursue and prosecute his accomplices and enablers, and ensure redress for his victims.”

Araoz is not alone in that desire.

Lawyers for Epstein's accusers called the act selfish and said they were "just getting started."

Brad Edwards who represents many of Epstein's accusers said the millionaire financier's suicide was an attempt to strip his victims of finality and justice and urged anyone with information to come forward.

"While we engaged in contentious legal battles for more than a decade, this is not the ending anyone was looking for," he said in a statement. "The victims deserved to see Epstein held accountable, and he owed it to everyone he hurt to accept responsibility for all of the pain he caused."

Civil rights attorney Lisa Bloom, who also represents some of the women who accused Epstein, said that their litigation against Epstein's estate would continue.

Predator Jeffrey Epstein killed himself. On behalf of the victims I represent, we would have preferred he lived to face justice.
Our civil cases can still proceed against his estate. Victims deserve to be made whole for the lifelong damage he caused. We’re just getting started.

— Lisa Bloom (@LisaBloom) August 10, 2019

"You can’t criminally prosecute someone who is dead. But you can still sue his estate for money damages so that they [the victims] can get full and fair compensation for the life long damage that he caused them. The damage to their relationships, to their self-esteem, their career opportunities shattered, and we intend to proceed with that immediately,” said Bloom on MSNBC. "We are going to get justice for these victims we are not giving up. He is not going to escape justice even in death."

One alleged victim, Virginia Roberts Giuffre, now 36, said Epstein and his close associates had ordered her to have sex with several high-powered men when she was just 14 years old, according to a 2016 deposition released Friday.

Sigrid McCawley, lawyer to Roberts Giuffre and other victims, said the fact that Epstein took his own life less than 24 hours after the documents were released detailing "the scope, scale and sophistication of the international sex trafficking operation Epstein conducted, is no coincidence."

"We are hopeful that the government will continue to investigate and will focus on those who participated and facilitated Epstein's horrifying sex trafficking scheme that damaged so many," McCawley said.

Michael Avenatti, attorney for two Epstein victims, echoed McCawley's words saying, "In no way, shape or form can this be the end of the investigation."

Numerous people are also calling for an investigation into Epstein's death after he was found unresponsive at 6:30 a.m. on Saturday in the Metropolitan Correction Center in New York, a federal jail in Manhattan.

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., tweeted shortly after Epstein's death was reported, "We need answers. Lots of them."

That sentiment was shared by former Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Bromwhich who tweeted that Epstein's death "should prompt an immediate and comprehensive DOJ Inspector General investigation to determine who is responsible."

Epstein's death also resurfaced anger over the original sentence he received after pleading guilty to two Florida charges of sexual misconduct. He only served 13 months of his 18-month sentence, and that brought calls for an investigation into his sentencing.

Rep. Lois Frankel, D-Florida, the co-chair of the Democratic Women's Caucus, said the public has a right to know "why a prolific child molester got a slap on the wrist instead of a long prison sentence."

"With the obvious end to criminal proceedings against Epstein, it is important that the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform begin its investigation immediately,” the congresswoman said in a statement.

Epstein was arrested July 6 in Teterboro, New Jersey and was charged with one count of sex trafficking conspiracy and one count of sex trafficking. He faced up to 45 years in prison if found guilty.

His arrest sparked separate investigations into how authorities initially handled his case when similar charges were first brought against him in Florida over a decade ago.

Alex Acosta, who was serving as U.S. labor secretary, came under fire as a result of the investigations, which revealed he handled Epstein's deal when he was a U.S. attorney in Miami. He resigned from the Trump administration post last month, shortly after publicly defending his role in Epstein's case.