Where is the focus on the victims in the Epstein scandal? |
It’s been just over a week since the US Department of Justice released a new tranche of documents related to the investigations into convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein under the Epstein Files Transparency Act.
The release comprised millions of pages of communications, emails, images and other records, and sparked a global storm of political controversy and public fascination.
It was interesting to note the number of references to Ireland, with some reports indicating there are more than 1,600 mentions of Irish matters, ranging from potential financial deals to personal correspondence and even comments about Irish culture.
While most of the records do not, on the face of it, allege criminal contact between Irish public figures and Epstein, the sheer frequency of references in the context of one of the world’s most infamous sex-trafficking and abuse networks has driven intense speculation and media attention in Ireland and beyond.
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For me, the most striking aspect of the global reaction to the files is public willingness to speculate about powerful men’s potential undisclosed misconduct, contrasted with a reluctance to take seriously the testimony of Epstein’s victims or treat their pain and suffering with the sensitivity the release of this additional material deserves.
There are a number of reasons and the first is probably to do with power, mystique and secrecy.
Epstein’s decades-long relationships with political elites, bankers, diplomats........