Epstein abused me while under house arrest, survivor tells US lawmakers

May 13, 2026

A survivor known as Roza testified at an unofficial Democratic hearing in Florida that Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused her over three years, beginning in 2009 when she was 18 and he was under house arrest following his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. Recruited from Uzbekistan by modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel with promises of a modeling career, Roza was offered work at Epstein's Florida Science Foundation before the abuse began. The West Palm Beach hearing, organized by House Democrats near Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence, aimed to keep scrutiny on the Epstein case and examine how victims were failed by the justice system.

Who is affected

Roza, an Uzbekistan-born survivor who was recruited as a teenager and abused by Epstein starting in 2009
Maria Farmer, another Epstein survivor who reported abuse in 1996
Multiple unnamed Epstein victims whose identities were compromised due to flawed redactions in DOJ-released files
Victims who testified at the hearing alongside Roza
Jeffrey Epstein's victims more broadly who were failed by the justice system

What action is being taken

The US House Oversight Committee (with Republican majority) is currently investigating Jeffrey Epstein's crimes
Democratic members of the committee are scrutinizing the Trump administration's handling of the Epstein files
The DOJ has removed Epstein-related files from its website after victims reported compromised identities

Why it matters

This case reveals catastrophic failures in the justice system that allowed a convicted sex offender to continue abusing victims while under house arrest, demonstrating how lenient plea deals and inadequate monitoring enabled ongoing crimes. The accidental exposure of victim identities in released government documents compounds the trauma survivors have endured and raises serious questions about institutional competency in protecting vulnerable individuals. The hearing highlights how wealth and power can shield perpetrators and their associates from accountability for years while victims face repeated failures from law enforcement and judicial systems meant to protect them.

What's next

No explicit next steps stated in the article

Read full article from source: BBC