Reasons Why Epstein Survivors Should Testify Before Congress

(SeaPRwire) –   One week ago, Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche stated he would support allowing alleged victims of convicted sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein to testify publicly before Congress. This lines up with First Lady Melania Trump’s recent call for just such a hearing. Though Epstein died before he could be formally convicted on sex trafficking charges, the FBI has estimated he harmed more than 1,000 victims. 

As a psychologist who has studied the impacts of trauma and treated survivors for the past 25 years, I add my voice to the call for a public hearing. It would not only help hold perpetrators accountable, but also aligns with recent data showing the profound impact public testimony has for survivors of sexual violence—and this benefit extends far beyond just Epstein’s own victims. Public testimony followed by open public dialogue can be the critical healing moment this uniquely dark situation requires. 

A new study looking at the effects of sexual violence disclosure was published this month; coincidentally, one of its co-authors is Christine Blasey Ford, the Stanford psychology professor who testified before Congress in 2018 about the alleged sexual assault she experienced in high school at the hands of then-Supreme Court nominee (now Justice) Brett Kavanaugh—claims Kavanaugh strongly denies.

The study’s findings carry direct implications for what could happen if women who allege they were sexually trafficked by Epstein are allowed to testify before Congress. After Ford’s testimony, she received a flood of letters from women across all 50 U.S. states and 42 countries, all of whom had their own histories of sexual trauma unrelated to Ford’s case. The study’s authors pulled a de-identified sample of Ford’s correspondence, sorting letters from women who identified as sexual violence survivors into two comparison groups: those who had chosen to share their trauma histories with others, and those who had not. 

In line with findings from past research, many women described negative experiences they had when speaking out publicly, and women who chose not to disclose their trauma cited reasons including shame, a desire to avoid revisiting their trauma, and fear of negative reactions from family, friends, or intimate partners.

The groundbreaking new finding was that many women who had never shared their traumas with anyone before wrote that Ford inspired them to ease their own shame by speaking out. Ford’s widely publicized allegation helped these women move from silence to liberation. In psychological terms, this qualifies as a healing intervention.

This effect mirrors the impact of the #MeToo movement, where individuals share their trauma on social media, connect with other survivors, and offer mutual support to one another.

Nearly half of all women experience some form of sexually violent contact, and almost one in five experience a completed or attempted rape. Yet most survivors never report their experiences to police or seek medical care. When they do choose to tell someone, they almost always confide first in a family member or friend. Many remain silent, worried about victim-blaming and the accompanying stigma. It is estimated that when survivors do choose to disclose their trauma, up to two-thirds face a range of negative responses: dismissal, disbelief, and blame. Many have referred to this harmful experience as a “second assault.”

A review of 51 studies found that negative social reactions to disclosure are linked to more severe emotional struggles, including increased PTSD, depression, and anxiety. Sarah Ullman, a psychologist from the University of Illinois Chicago, is one of the leading researchers studying social reactions to survivors’ disclosures, and she authored the book Talking About Sexual Assault: Society’s Response to Survivors. I asked her what she thought the effect of Epstein’s survivors testifying would be, for the survivors themselves and for other survivors around the world.

“It can be empowering and healing, especially since they are speaking out collectively,” Ullman said. “This positive outcome is far more likely if society and leaders recognize them with respect and respond positively: listening to their accounts, believing them, honoring their bravery, and supporting their pursuit of justice.” 

I also asked Ullman what she thought the public could do to build safer spaces for disclosure. “We all need to support survivors by listening, believing, and offering help,” she said. “Creating safe spaces for survivors can include support/therapy groups, moderated/closed online forums for survivors, and anti-violence activist projects. This support is needed for all survivors, whether they were harmed by high-profile perpetrators or not, and it is especially critical for more marginalized survivors, who are often less valued, less heard, and less able to access support, supportive services, or any form of justice.”

I agree. I am grateful that Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and First Lady Melania Trump have expressed support for public testimony. I believe that just as Ford’s study—analyzing the mail she received and showing her testimony inspired other survivors to claim their truth and move forward in their healing journeys—showed, public testimony from Epstein’s survivors can have the same positive impact. 

Let Epstein’s survivors be heard by Congress, and let us see the empowering effect this can have for all survivors of sexual violence.