unilad homepage
  • News
  • Film and TV
  • Music
  • Tech
  • Features
  • Celebrity
  • Politics
  • Weird
  • Community
  • Advertise
  • Terms
  • Privacy & Cookies
  • LADbible Group
  • LADbible
  • SPORTbible
  • GAMINGbible
  • Tyla
  • UNILAD Tech
  • FOODbible
  • License Our Content
  • About Us & Contact
  • Jobs
  • Latest
  • Topics A-Z
  • Authors
Facebook
Instagram
X
Threads
TikTok
YouTube
Submit Your Content
Epstein victim issues heartbreaking response after DOJ failed to remove her from files as people find hacks to see through redactions

Home> News> US News

Published 14:50 24 Dec 2025 GMT

Epstein victim issues heartbreaking response after DOJ failed to remove her from files as people find hacks to see through redactions

The chaotic release of the 'Epstein files' by the Department of Justice has exposed several survivors of abuse despite heavy redactions

William Morgan

William Morgan

google discoverFollow us on Google Discover

One of the survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse has been forced to issue a desperate public plea to officials after the Department of Justice failed to redact her name from multiple files that were released on Friday.

The victim, who is usually named as Jane Doe to protect her identity, told CNN that she was surprised to find out that her actual name had been left unredacted in some of the thousands of documents that Congress forced the DOJ to release.

This is despite criticism that many of the other files remain blacked out, which officials say is to protect victims. It even appears that this process may have been incomplete, with some sleuths figuring out how to see through the redactions.

Jane Doe claims to have asked officials to remove her name from the released files over the weekend, but CNN said no changes had yet been made to protect her identity. This has forced her to make a heartfelt appeal to the DOJ in the name of abuse survivors everywhere, saying that their failure 'haunts me to my core.'

Advert

Survivors of Epstein's abuse have campaigned for years to see the files released, with their identities protected (DANIEL HEUER/AFP via Getty Images)
Survivors of Epstein's abuse have campaigned for years to see the files released, with their identities protected (DANIEL HEUER/AFP via Getty Images)

She said in her appeal: “The reason I feel so passionate is it’s not just about me and what happened. I fear for the little girl who’s calling the FBI right now and asking for help.

“I am so afraid for her, because if I have to do all of this right now… I have no words. I just have no words. It hurts my heart. It haunts me to my core.”

Doe said she witnessed and suffered abuse at the hands of wealthy convicted pedophile Epstein in 2009, after he had pled guilty in Florida to soliciting prostitution from a minor. Despite telling the FBI what she experienced, no action appeared to be taken and multiple requests to see her file in the years since went nowhere.

But now these files have been made available to the public, forcing Doe to join a group of more than a dozen survivors criticizing the DOJ for its handling of the files and failure to protect their identities.

The survivors have also questioned why officials have used 'abnormal and extreme redactions with no explanation', when some of their names had been left for all to see. They said that this was 'causing real and immediate harm.'

Some of the redactions are clearly to protect survivors' identities, but other redactions are not so obvious (Justice Department / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Some of the redactions are clearly to protect survivors' identities, but other redactions are not so obvious (Justice Department / Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)

One of Epstein's victims who has gone public, Marina Lacerda, told the BBC that she had a straightforward demand for the DOJ: "It is very simple, redact our names and un-redact the powerful, the elite, men who are out there and are continuing to do these horrible things to women."

Similarly to Jane Doe, she had a desperate plea: "They have done it to us and they will continue to do so. Please look at us as your children."

This problem has been made even worse for both survivors and the officials attempting to redact identifying information in the files with some figuring out how to get around the blacked-out information.

Un-redacted portions of some of the documents raise further questions about why certain pieces of information were being withheld.

Sleuths who got behind the redactions on the case settled by Epstein's estate with the Virgin Islands were able to reveal more about how the financier was able to evade legal consequences for so long.

One un-redacted file reads: "Epstein also threatened harm to victims and helped release damaging stories about them to damage their credibility when they tried to go public with their stories of being trafficked and sexually abused.

"Epstein also instructed one or more Epstein Enterprise participant-witnesses to destroy evidence relevant to ongoing court proceedings involving Defendants’ criminal sex trafficking and abuse conduct."

Featured Image Credit: Anadolu/Getty

Topics: Crime, Jeffrey Epstein, US News

William Morgan
William Morgan

Advert

Advert

Advert

Choose your content:

9 mins ago
11 hours ago
  • Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images
    9 mins ago

    Trump claims Iran has given him a ‘very big present’ following their warning on 'special plans'

    Donald Trump has hinted at progress being made with Iran

    News
  • 4WWL
    11 hours ago

    Amateur archaeologist claims to have found 12,000-year-old underwater city off US coast

    George Gelé is an amateur archaeologist who claims to have made a remarkable discovery

    News
  • Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images
    11 hours ago

    Why Trump's Iran promise won't lower gas prices anytime soon

    Gas prices across America are remaining stubbornly high, with the impact of Donald Trump's war on Iran likely being felt for years to come

    News
  • The White House
    11 hours ago

    Trump sparks awkward Pete Hegseth reaction by suggesting Iran attacks were his idea

    Trump spoke about the ongoing war in Iran

    News
  • Newly released files reveal eerie letter to Jeffrey Epstein warning him 'watch out'
  • White House issues fierce response to Elon Musk's attack on Trump amid claims he's in the Epstein files
  • The White House has blunt response to claim Donald Trump is listed in Epstein files
  • The View co-host Joy Behar explains why her name appears in the Epstein files