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Voices In a Small Room on Capitol Hill, Survivors of Epstein Refuse to Be Ignored - Ms.
Last week, on a day when most of the political eyes in the world were fixed on a carefully staged moment at the U.S. Capitol involving the king of England, something else far more consequential was happening: In a small conference room in the Cannon House Office Building, made even smaller by the crush of TV cameras pressed into every corner, the air thick and claustrophobic, a group of extraordinary women gathered to speak.
The roundtable—convened by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)—brought together survivors, family members of Virginia Giuffre and leading advocacy organizations to discuss the realities of trafficking and sexual assault and the systemic failures that allowed it to persist, and to call for the concrete actions from Congress to better protect survivors and prevent abuse. It was timed to coincide with the king’s visit, drawing attention to the fact that he did not meet with or hear directly from survivors, despite the well-documented involvement of his brother in Epstein’s network.
I was there to observe as part of a feature on accountability in cases of sexual abuse and trafficking that I’m reporting for the fall issue of Ms. magazine. I’ve already begun speaking with survivors for that work. It was an honor to witness this courageous moment firsthand.
Survivors of sexual abuse and assault spoke about what they had endured at the hands of powerful men, including Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. Despite everything that has come to light in recent months, their experiences are still far too often met with avoidance—or worse, with quiet, performative sympathy followed by dismissal and inaction.
One of the survivors told me quietly before it began that she had never spoken before so many cameras.
The roundtable—convened by Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.)—brought together survivors, family members of Virginia Giuffre and leading advocacy organizations to discuss the realities of trafficking and sexual assault and the systemic failures that allowed it to persist, and to call for the concrete actions from Congress to better protect survivors and prevent abuse. It was timed to coincide with the king’s visit, drawing attention to the fact that he did not meet with or hear directly from survivors, despite the well-documented involvement of his brother in Epstein’s network.
I was there to observe as part of a feature on accountability in cases of sexual abuse and trafficking that I’m reporting for the fall issue of Ms. magazine. I’ve already begun speaking with survivors for that work. It was an honor to witness this courageous moment firsthand.
Survivors of sexual abuse and assault spoke about what they had endured at the hands of powerful men, including Jeffrey Epstein and his associates. Despite everything that has come to light in recent months, their experiences are still far too often met with avoidance—or worse, with quiet, performative sympathy followed by dismissal and inaction.
One of the survivors told me quietly before it began that she had never spoken before so many cameras.
https://msmagazine.com/2026/05/06/capitol-hill-round-table-epstein-survivors-refuse-to-be-ignored/
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