A British woman who accused Jeffrey Epstein of abuse joined calls for Donald Trump to release all files connected to the convicted sex offender, as survivors shared emotional stories outside the Capitol.
Anouska de Georgiou was the first woman from the UK to publicly allege she was abused by Epstein and his longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell. Speaking at the rally in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, she said victims had come together to have their voices heard.
Fighting back tears, she said the birth of her daughter was a “turning point”.
“On the day she was born, I knew I had a responsibility to protect her and to protect all children,” the former model said. “I have to use my voice, the voice that had been silenced by fear and shame for so many years.”
De Georgiou alleged she was abused by Epstein when she was a teenager. She was one of eight victims gathered outside the Capitol on Wednesday, with the rally attracting hundreds of supporters and chants of “release the files”.
“The days of sweeping this under the rug are over. We the survivors say 'no more’,” De Georgiou said.
“I'm no longer weak, I am no longer powerless and I'm no longer alone. And with your vote, neither will the next generation,” she continued.
“President Trump, you have so much influence and power in this situation. Please use that influence and power to help us, because we need it now, and this country needs it now.”
De Georgiou claims she and her daughter were threatened when she volunteered to be a witness in a lawsuit against Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021 on sex trafficking and other charges and is currently serving a 20-year prison sentence.
“I have been followed, I have been stalked,” she said. “The fear is very real for us.”
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, one of Epstein’s most prominent accusers who died by suicide in April aged 41, was remembered at the rally. Friends, family and supporters described her as a “champion” for survivors of sexual abuse.
When asked about survivors’ demands, Trump dismissed calls for more information about the Justice Department’s Epstein investigation.
"This is a Democrat hoax that never ends,” he told reporters at the Oval Office Wednesday.
Epstein was arrested in July 2019 and charged with child sex trafficking. He died in custody a month later while awaiting trial, with his death ruled a suicide.
