Mari Mack Music

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I would like to see more people treat each other with kindness and respect.

Today, for the first time ever, survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse testified publicly under oath before members of Congress. The hearing took place not in Washington but in West Palm Beach, Florida -- less than three miles from the mansion where Epstein abused hundreds of girls, and just minutes from Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago. Previous meetings between Epstein survivors and lawmakers had all been closed-door roundtables. By testifying publicly under oath, survivors put their voices on the official record for the first time.

The nearly three-hour hearing, led by House Oversight Committee Democrats, focused on the 2008 sweetheart plea deal that made Epstein's continued abuse possible -- and on what it would take to make sure nothing like it ever happens again. Survivors and attorneys called for concrete changes to the Crime Victims' Rights Act, which was supposed to guarantee Epstein's victims a seat at the table during his prosecution but didn't.

Attorney Spencer Kuvin, who represented the first victim to come forward in the Palm Beach investigation, called the agreement negotiated by then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta "the worst" ever executed by a federal prosecutor. "The victims were not consulted," he said. "Their advocates like me were not consulted. Victims were never given an opportunity to be heard."

Democrats released a new report called "The Price of Non-Prosecution" detailing exactly what that deal cost. In 2005, a parent in Palm Beach reported that her 14-year-old daughter had been taken to Epstein's mansion. Detectives uncovered a pattern of abuse involving dozens of teenage girls and recommended felony charges that could have sent Epstein to prison for decades.

Instead, Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer declined to bring serious charges -- worried, according to Kuvin's testimony, that his "career would go up in flames" if he charged Epstein and failed. The case went federal, but Epstein's high-powered legal team "swarmed into Palm Beach County."

In 2008, Epstein pleaded guilty to a single state charge of soliciting prostitution from a minor. He received an 18-month sentence but served less than 13 months, most of it on work release, leaving jail for up to 12 hours a day. The federal investigation was shut down. The deal was negotiated in secret -- victims and their attorneys weren't told until it was already signed.

A survivor named Roza testified about what that secret sweetheart deal actually meant. She met Epstein in 2009 while he was supposedly serving his sentence. "Jeffrey Epstein was under house arrest at the exact same time he was abusing me," she told lawmakers. "Those years of abuse turned into a decade of fear that I still carry today."

"Had prosecutors in Florida done their jobs," said Rep. Lois Frankel, whose district includes Palm Beach, "most likely hundreds of young women would have been spared unimaginable harm."

Survivors also spoke about the ongoing harm inflicted by the government's handling of the case. When the Justice Department finally released files under the Epstein Files Transparency Act, it redacted the names of wealthy associates while exposing names and personal information of victims. Jena-Lisa Jones described how husbands learned of their wives' abuse from media coverage, how children learned of their mothers' trauma from strangers. "Take responsibility," she demanded.

Jones also had a message for former Attorney General Pam Bondi, who is scheduled to testify before the Oversight Committee on May 29: "You were willing to lose your job to cover up for these people. What do they have on you, because I'd like to know."

Dani Bensky, who was abused by Epstein in 2004 and 2005 -- eight years after survivor Maria Farmer first reported him to the FBI -- closed with a warning. "Our entrenched systemic failures have allowed powerful people like Jeffrey to thrive. If we continue down this path, the question isn't whether abuse will happen again, but who will be the next Jeffrey Epstein."

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The girls and young women Epstein targeted were often vulnerable -- most were young, many were struggling financially and desperate for a way forward. Girls like them are still out there. Here's how to help:

--> To support survivors of sexual violence and connect them with free, confidential support through the National S*xual Assault Hotline (1-800-656-4673), donate to RAINN, the nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, at https://www.rainn.org

--> To support efforts to find and protect children from sexual exploitation and trafficking, donate to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://www.missingkids.org

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To read the powerful story of one Epstein victim in her own words, we recommend Virginia Giuffre's harrowing memoir: "Nobody’s Girl: A Memoir of Surviving Abuse and Fighting for Justice," visit https://bookshop.org/a/8011/9780593493120 (Bookshop) and https://amzn.to/4nZbSAZ (Amazon)

Raising kids to have empathy for others and an understanding of consent is one of the most important things parents can do to help reduce the incidence of sexual assault. To teach children -- girls and boys alike -- about the need to respect others and their personal boundaries, we recommend "Let's Talk About Body Boundaries, Consent, and Respect" for ages 4 to 7 (https://www.amightygirl.com/body-boundaries) and "Consent (for Kids!)" for ages 6 to 10 (https://www.amightygirl.com/consent-for-kids)

There is also a helpful guide for teens on topics such as consent and coercion, "Real Talk About S*x and Consent: What Every Teen Needs to Know," for ages 13 and up at https://www.amightygirl.com/real-talk-about-sex-and-consent

For an excellent book for older teens and adults about the early warning signs of abusive relationships, myths about abusive personalities, and how to get help, we highly recommend "Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men" at https://www.amightygirl.com/why-does-he-do-that

If you know a teen girl struggling after sexual abuse or trauma, “The S*xual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls: A Guide to Recovery from S*xual Assault and Abuse” may help at https://www.amightygirl.com/sexual-trauma-workbook-girls

For several fictional stories that address r**e and sexual violence and offer a helpful way to spark conversations with young adult readers around sexual assault, we recommend "Speak" for ages 14 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/speak), "Girl Made of Stars" for ages 14 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/girl-made-of-stars), and "The Way I Used To Be" for ages 15 and up (https://www.amightygirl.com/the-way-i-used-to-be)

Mari Mack has a show on 05/09/2026 at 04:00 PM @ The Saloon in San Francisco, CA https://www.reverbnation.com/q/8b2s3g

Thanks to everyone who showed up and showed appreciation! We had a great time! See you 6/13! || 5/9/26!