The inaction of our government is a slap in face
- Matilda Ziegler
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
According to a CNN article entitled “DOJ releases millions of pages of documents in Epstein investigation,” over three million pages of documents related to the known sexual predator Jeffery Epstein were released Jan. 30.
What is most disturbing about the newest release of the Epstein files is not the fact there is one evil man, Jeffery Epstein, who trafficked, raped, and assaulted in other ways young girls and women.
What is most disturbing is the number of powerful men, on both sides of the political aisle, who either allegedly assaulted or raped children, or who maintained-- and even developed--relationships with Jeffery Epstein after “news stories made him widely known as an alleged abuser of young girls.”
According to a Feb.1, 2026 PBS News article entitled “A list of powerful men named in the Epstein files, from Elon Musk to former Prince Andrew,” men in power in multiple countries, including Donald Trump and Bill Clinton from the United States, former Prince Andrew from the United Kingdom and former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak have been established as having connections to Jeffrey Epstein.
For the millions of victims of sexual violence in the United States, it has been especially difficult to learn about the information released in the files. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), nearly half of women and more than one in six men experienced some form of contact sexual violence in their lifetimes, and over 20%of women are raped or are victims of attempted rape in their lifetimes.
One reason the alleged conduct of those mentioned in the Epstein Files is so upsetting to many sexual assault victims is that the victims in the Epstein files are so young, and many people have their first instance of victimization while they are either a child or a young adult.More than four in five female rape survivors, according to the CDC, reported that they were first raped before age 25 and almost half were first raped as a child.
What is most disturbing to me is the fact nothing is being done about the released information. What is being alleged in the files is serious and should be investigated, not only for the sake of the women alleging sexual assault, but for the sake of almost half of American women and one in six American men who have been sexually assaulted in their lifetimes.
For survivors who already are dealing with the physical and psychological consequences of being violated, the inaction of our government, which is supposed to protect us, is a slap in the face. According to the CDC, victims keep quiet because they may be “ashamed, embarrassed or afraid to tell the police, friends, or family about the violence … or because they have been threatened or do not think anyone will believe or help them.”
How are we supposed to handle the long-term consequences of being raped without support, and without the knowledge that our government is doing everything they can to investigate crimes and protect victims?
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