‘Slap in the face’: Epstein victims slam release of heavily-redacted files

Al JazeeraCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete by By News AgenciesDecember 21, 2025 at 07:15 AM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

Victims of Jeffrey Epstein are criticizing the U.S. government following the release of heavily redacted documents related to cases against the deceased sex offender. The Department of Justice began releasing the files on Friday to comply with a congressional mandate requiring disclosure, citing the need to obscure survivors' identifying information as the reason for redactions and delayed release. News outlets reported that at least 16 files, including one containing a photograph of former President Donald Trump, have disappeared from the public webpage. The released documents offered little new information regarding Epstein's crimes or prosecutorial decisions, omitting key materials like FBI interviews and DOJ memos. Victims, like Marina Lacerda, have expressed outrage, calling the redactions and unreleased documents a "slap in the face."

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

FBI 30% Congress 40% Ghislaine Maxwell 50% Marina Lacerda ×260% United States 60% Department of Justice (DOJ) ×370% Donald Trump ×270% Jeffrey Epstein ×7100%

Keywords

jeffrey epstein 100% epstein victims 90% redacted files 90% sex trafficking 70% department of justice 70% document release 60% prosecutorial decisions 50% donald trump 50% ghislaine maxwell 40%