The secrets of Epstein's accomplice will come to light. Decision under the Transparency Act

A federal judge in New York on Tuesday ordered the release of hundreds of thousands of pages of records in the case of Ghislaine Maxwell, a friend of Jeffrey Epstein, who was convicted of sex trafficking. He also warned against the risk of reconstructing the victims' identities.

Judge Paul Engelmayer ruled that the law also covers grand jury testimony and “extensive” materials not used in the trial of Maxwell, who helped Epstein abuse girls. He ordered the Ministry of Justice to delete data that could reveal the identities of victims.

The decision was made under the Epstein File Transparency Act, although the Ministry of Justice emphasized that despite deleting personal data, the risk of reconstructing the victims' identities could not be completely eliminated.

“These women are not political pawns. They are mothers, wives and daughters. They were exploited by Jeffrey Epstein and in some cases by others, and whose rights have already been violated by the government in the past,” the judge said.

The victims' lawyer, Brad Edwards, emphasized that the earlier release of the files by Congress “caused enormous stress” by revealing the names of nearly 30 women.

However, some victims, such as Annie Farmer, demanded full publication, arguing that the refusal could be “an excuse to continue hiding key information about Epstein's crimes.” Engelmayer noted that some files may remain classified if their disclosure would harm ongoing investigations.

In 2008, Epstein was convicted of enticing underage girls into prostitution. According to prosecutors, between 2002 and 2005, he paid dozens of underage girls for sexual services at his residences in New York and Florida. In 2019, he died in prison before his federal trial on more serious charges; his death was ruled a suicide.

Andrzej Dobrowolski from New York (PAP)

ad/ piu/