Political circus over Epstein files hurts sex trafficking survivors

USA Today

22-07-2025

Survivors of human trafficking, especially those linked to the Epstein network, have already endured years, sometimes decades, of trauma and fear.
The ongoing partisan fight over the 'missing Epstein files' is not a move toward transparency. It is a deliberate distraction from justice − one that re-traumatizes sex trafficking survivors, protects powerful offenders and erodes trust in the criminal justice system.
As politicians and media outlets use the case of deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to score political points or spread conspiracies, they cause real harm to trafficking victims and law enforcement officials who handle such cases. There's also a loss of public confidence in due process.
Survivors of human trafficking, especially those linked to the Epstein network, have already endured years, sometimes decades, of trauma and fear. The politicization of their stories reopens wounds in ways that are harmful and cruel.
As media pundits and political operatives speculate about 'client lists' and 'missing videos,' they reduce lived experiences to hashtags. Research shows that when survivors are pulled into public debates or forced to watch their perpetrators discussed without resolution, their trauma symptoms often worsen.
This is exploitation disguised as outrage.
Shielding the elites, while avoiding accountability
The Department of Justice has confirmed there is no official 'client list.' Yet political figures lean into innuendo, shifting attention from real questions, such as: How did Epstein operate for so long? Who enabled him? Why were survivors dismissed?
Instead of pursuing these hard inquiries, public debate fixates on anonymous 'powerful men.' This deflection reinforces the culture of silence, wealth and privilege that allows trafficking to persist.
Sex trafficking prosecutions are delicate. They require survivor cooperation, law enforcement diligence and prosecutorial care.
Sensationalized media coverage and partisan speculation create impossible expectations and foster distrust in real investigations. Prosecutors, especially in Epstein-adjacent cases, may hesitate to act under political scrutiny.
Worse, traffickers and defense attorneys can weaponize this chaos, arguing that charges are politically motivated or that evidence was tainted by media leaks.
This undermines the system's core objectives: accountability, victim safety and the rule of law.
Epstein spectacle undermines justice
Media narratives play a crucial role in shaping how the public understands human trafficking. When stories are driven more by political agendas than verified facts, they blur the line between trustworthy journalism and conspiracy.
A 2024 survey found that 46% of Americans report having very little or no knowledge of sex trafficking, while only 51% say they have some or significant knowledge, highlighting widespread uncertainty.
Similarly, a 2016 Reason article reported that while 73% of Americans believe trafficking is widespread or occurs occasionally in the U.S., far fewer think it happens in their own states, revealing dangerous gaps in public perception.
This confusion is compounded by persistent false claims, including those spread online by extremist groups. The U.S. State Department warns such misinformation overwhelms service providers, misleads law enforcement and threatens advocates.
Conspiracies about 'elite pedophile rings' have forced anti-trafficking organizations to divert resources from victim support to myth busting.
Online echo chambers continue to amplify misleading narratives, leaving nearly half the country vulnerable to deception. These distortions obstruct efforts by advocates, providers and survivors working to confront the actual and complex realities of trafficking.
Let's focus on trafficking survivors, not sensationalism
Fighting trafficking requires more than political showmanship. It requires trauma-informed, survivor-centered justice.
This means confidential testimony procedures, access to victim services and financial restitution. Frontline responders − police, health care providers and social workers − need coordinated training and wellness support to maintain their long-term involvement.
Courts must resist politicization by supporting bipartisan task forces, independent prosecutors and transparent legal processes.
Policies that prioritize survivor welfare and judicial integrity, rather than party loyalty, are more likely to deliver accountability. Conspiracy theories often mix partial truths with fabrications, distracting from core issues like family coercion, intimate partner control and forced labor.
We need a public education campaign based on survivor-informed, evidence-based messaging. Without it, people will continue relying on memes and unverified posts − often spreading harm.
The partisan use of cases like Epstein's doesn't empower survivors; it exploits their trauma. They aren't campaign props. They are individuals whose lives have been shattered.
When trafficking is reduced to hashtags and headlines, we ignore the patterns and enablers that must be dismantled.
Survivors don't need visibility. They need protection, and a system that acts on their behalf, not against them.
Cathryn Lavery is the department chairperson and a professor of criminal justice and security at Pace University's Dyson College of Arts and Sciences.