What the Jeffrey Epstein Docuseries Tells Us About The Invincibility of Predators in Power
Sawyer Bailly
Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault, Pedophilia, Sex-Trafficking
“You watched me be abused,” said Virginia Guiffre in a chilling Tweet on January 15, 2020. Guiffre is a survivor of a sex trafficking ring operated by the late financer and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, in which she was “lent out” around the world to dozens of powerful individuals in his social circle beginning at the age of seventeen. The Tweet is accompanied by three equally unsettling photographs of Guiffre as a young woman during her time living and travelling with Epstein, one of which depicts her at age seventeen with Prince Andrew. In it, Guiffre stands next to the royal figure while Epstein’s wife, Ghislaine Maxwell, is seen smiling in the background. It was on this night, at Maxwell’s house in London, that Guiffre later alleged she was trafficked to and subsequently abused by Prince Andrew for the first of three times. The other two photos depict her, at Epstein’s side, attending parties and other social events alongside various high-profile celebrities such as Naomi Campbell (shown standing next to Epstein in the second picture). “You saw me at your parties, you saw me in Epstein’s homes, you saw me on the plane, you saw me get my haircut, you saw me on the streets, you watched me be abused. You saw me!”
Jeffrey Epstein: The Filthy Rich, a docuseries detailing how sex offender Jeffrey Epstein used his money, power and influence to carry out his crimes, sheds light on just how many people saw. Friends, employees, and law enforcement officials alike stood by for years while Epstein sexually abused dozens of women, many of whom were minors at the time. “I’ve known Jeff for fifteen years. Terrific guy. He’s a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side,” said Donald Trump on his late friend in a 2002 New York Magazine profile of the financier, a quote that is highlighted in Filthy Rich. Epstein’s perversion was no secret. Steve Scully, a former maintenance worker on Epstein’s island “Little Saint James” (which gained the public nickname “Pedophile Island” as a result of its purpose as a place for Epstein to engage in sexual acts with young women and girls without repercussion) was hardly in the dark in terms of Epstein’s behaviour. In Filthy Rich, he describes seeing various powerful men, including Bill Clinton, frequenting the island, and recounts a time that he witnessed Prince Andrew engaging in foreplay with a young topless girl. “You know… you tell yourself that you didn’t know for sure. You never really saw anything. But that’s just all rationalization,” He said, looking visibly guilty. And then, some of the most haunting words of the docuseries: “Jeffrey Epstein, he was a guy who concealed his deviance very well. But he didn’t conceal it that well.”
How could Epstein, such a high-profile public figure, have so little regard for the law? How could he be so bold in his heinous crimes, with so little fear of being caught? The world protected him. Why did he believe that he was invincible? The world told him he was - and they let him be as much. Years before his child sex trafficking conviction in 2019, there were many attempts to put Epstein behind bars. None were successful. A few victims took it upon themselves to phone law enforcement, and their pleas fell on deaf ears. One survivor in particular, who had a sister who had also been abused by Epstein and was interviewed throughout the docuseries, called the police and was told that, because it was not in their jurisdiction, she should phone the FBI. Upon doing so, she was assured that sufficient action would be taken. Instead, she never heard back. Years later, the woman and her sister attempted to recount their experiences to Vanity Fair in a cover story about Epstein. However, shortly before the article was meant to be published, the editor made the decision to remove the two girls from the story due to threats from Epstein and team. The victims were silenced, and the article was published under the title “The Talented Mr. Epstein.”
It is through stories like this one that Filthy Rich shows just how fiercely Jeffrey Epstein was protected by society. As a white man with such an enormous amount of money and power, someone described as “stunningly rich,” Epstein was essentially untouchable. His ability to evade the law, almost effortlessly, was confirmed over and over again. “At the US Virgin Islands, you’ve got authorities going, you know, Hello Mr. Epstein, nice to see you again. Welcoming him to the airport… with about five girls trailing behind. And no one said anything. I think that they knew,” said Sarah Ransome, who had endured abuse at Jeffrey Epstein’s island for years. Nevertheless, seasoned and successful lawyers assured victims again and again that they would put Epstein behind bars. In their eyes, it was an easy case. He was running what one lawyer called a “molestation pyramid.” There was an abundance of evidence and witnesses. However, their attempts proved to be mostly futile. Epstein was not scared of being caught, and he had no reason to be.
In 2007, Epstein was accused of recruiting minors to perform sexual favours and massages at his mansion in Palm Beach. With the help of the then-US Attorney Alexander Acosta, Epstein struck a deal in which he pled guilty to two counts of solicitation of prostitution - one with a minor under the age of eighteen. This resulted in a generous sentence of eighteen months in jail, during which he was allowed to leave for work five days a week and ended up being released five months early. He also registered as a sex offender. In exchange for Epstein’s guilty plea, Acosta’s office agreed to shut down the FBI’s ongoing investigation into Epstein. The deal was meant to be kept secret from the women he had allegedly abused until it had been approved by a judge, which the women now argue violated their rights under the Crime Victims Rights Act, as it negated their chances of ruining the plea agreement or even testifying against him. It wasn’t until 2019, more than a decade after the highly scrutinized plea deal, that Epstein was arrested again on federal charges for the sex trafficking of minors. Shortly after, he died in his jail cell in what was allegedly a suicide. Why did these charges take so long? How could Epstein have been cut such a generous deal and then proceeded to walk free for ten years before he faced any sort of real consequences?
Jeffrey Epstein is the ultimate example of the abuse of power. He was keenly aware of the immense privilege that his status as a white, wealthy man in society allowed him, and he took full advantage of it. Epstein was a predator on his own, but he was further enabled by others at nearly every level of society. The magnitude of his crimes would not have been possible without the assistance of many other players. The law system that he benefited so greatly from is the same one that oppresses and exploits the most marginalized groups in society. Many of the girls who were abused by Epstein were from low-income households, with limited opportunities in terms of education and careers. He knew this, and he dangled the idea of new and exciting possibilities in front of them. Many were also often victims of previous instances of abuse. Some were not receiving sufficient care in their own households. He knew this. It was no coincidence that he had found the perfect victims: girls and women who were vulnerable.
Epstein is dead, but his social circle that for so many years remained aware of his crimes are still here. Powerful political, financial and even royal figures that turned a blind eye are still here. The system that silenced his dozens of victims has not changed, and that’s the problem. It is past time to question things. Why do we live in a society that protects abusers in positions of power and discards their victims? Child sex offenders should not be cut a generous plea deal in any way, shape, or form. Filthy Rich does an excellent job of depicting the incredible abuse of power exercised by predators with privilege, and the way in which the system enables these crimes. It also was able to give a voice to Epstein’s many victims, albeit something that should have been done years ago. However, it is projects like this that are the first step to moving towards a world in which victims of abuse are able to find justice and power, rather than being pushed aside, and powerful predators like Epstein are held accountable - the first time around.
Sources:
Comments