Today we filed a lawsuit in New York on behalf of “Jane Doe 15,” who was only 15 years old when Jeffrey Epstein preyed upon her, trafficked her and sexually abused her. Jane Doe 15 is clearly a victim of child sexual abuse. She does not wish to disclose her true name. Nevertheless, she wishes to speak out about what she suffered as a result of meeting Jeffrey Epstein and those who were employed by him or were associated with him. The law allows her to file a lawsuit as “Jane Doe” and she has chosen to exercise that option. Although she wishes her legal identity to be protected, she has chosen to let her voice be heard today because she wants to speak her truth and encourage other underage victims of Jeffrey Epstein who have not yet asserted their legal rights to come forward and pursue either a civil lawsuit and/or speak to law enforcement about what they have suffered if they have not already done so. Even though Jeffrey Epstein is deceased, we are still permitted to file her case against his estate and we have filed that case this morning in New York. Her lawsuit alleges battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. She is seeking compensatory damages and punitive damages according to proof at trial. Jane Doe 15 has also met with law enforcement because she understands that despite Mr. Epstein’s death, there is still an ongoing criminal investigation by the United States Attorneys’ office for the Southern District of New York. Jane Doe 15 wants to be sure that she has done everything within her power to provide information that she has to assist in this important investigation into those who may have knowingly assisted and conspired to sexually traffic underage girls. Although the justice system has clearly failed Epstein victims and survivors in the past, a measure of justice may still be possible for the survivors, both in the criminal and in the civil justice systems. We are very proud to represent Jane Doe 15 along with our co-counsel, Mariann Wang and Daniel Mullkoff of the law firm of Cuti Hecker Wang LLP in New York. Jane Doe 15 has chosen to be brave and speak her truth today in order to help others. She also courageously provided a Victim Impact statement in Federal Court in August 2019 when the Federal judge invited victims to provide their Victim Impact statement after Jeffrey Epstein’s death. We will do everything possible to support and protect our client and fight for the justice that she deserves in a New York court of law.
https://youtu.be/_CxkmnTZGLI