Beyond Transparency: From Epstein’s Survivors to a Future Free of Sexual Violence

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images | Epstein survivors Anouska De Georgiou, Danielle Bensky, and Chauntae Davies during a press conference at the US Capitol on Sept. 3, 2025

Today, ten survivors of Jeffrey Epstein’s decades of sexual trafficking and abuse took their courage to Capitol Hill, standing alongside lawmakers in support of the Epstein Files Transparency Act. Their testimony revealed not only the trauma of exploitation but the devastating impact of secrecy, power, and inaction. 

Annie Farmer who was assaulted, along with her sister, when she was 16 said:

"Not only did many others participate in the abuse, it is clear that many were aware of his interest in girls and very young women and chose to look the other way because it benefited them to do so. They wanted access to his circle and his money. Their choice to align with his power left those of us who had been harmed by this man and his associates feeling very isolated."

Transparency is critical. Believing and supporting survivors is essential. But investing in prevention is the only way to ensure we’re not back here again in 10 or 20 years, listening to another generation of survivors asking why nothing changed.

Highlights from the National Sexual Assault Conference

Last week, I was at the National Sexual Assault Conference, surrounded by thousands of advocates, researchers, and practitioners who are working every day to end sexual violence. It was heartening to see so much progress and passion—and a little heartbreaking to be reminded of the setbacks and losses we’ve experienced this year.

One highlight was hearing about the work of Lynn Rosenthal and Rosie Hidalgo, who are co-leading the MOSAIC Initiative at the Battered Women’s Justice Project. Both are national leaders with decades of experience: Rosenthal was the first White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, and Hidalgo led the Office on Violence Against Women at DOJ. Together, they are using the Biden-era National Plan to Prevent Gender-Based Violence as a blueprint to create change in real communities— strengthening coordinated responses, centering survivor voices, and making prevention actionable at the local level. That’s important, and it shows us a path forward amid chaos and cuts at the federal level.

Prevention Works—When We Choose to Fund It

Here’s what too few people realize: we already know a great deal about how to prevent sexual violence and child sexual abuse. The public health field has spent decades building and testing prevention strategies. At CDC, where I worked for many years, our mission was to apply those lessons to stop violence before it starts. That work was largely eliminated, but the knowledge remains. 

So, what can we do?

Here are some evidence-based strategies we can invest in now to prevent the next case of child sexual trafficking from happening— or at the very least(!) stop it before hundreds of girls and women experience the same sexual violence and trauma:

• Create Safe and Supportive Communities

  Foster environments where survivors are believed, children are protected, and adults share responsibility for safety.  The Enough Abuse Campaign, for example, mobilizes communities with training, education, and advocacy to stop child sexual abuse before it happens.

  
  

• Early Education and Youth Empowerment

  Teach young people about consent, respect, healthy relationships, and online safety before exploitation happens. Evidence-based programs like CDC’s Dating Matters® give middle schoolers the tools to build healthy relationship skills and have been shown to prevent sexual and dating violence.

• Gatekeeper Training

  Equip educators, healthcare providers, and law enforcement to recognize red flags and intervene early with trauma-informed responses. For example, CSTOP Now! trains middle school staff to recognize the signs of child sex trafficking and respond appropriately. It reduces stigma, builds knowledge and confidence, and increases reporting and referrals—all without asking educators to take on roles outside their expertise.

  
  

• Reduce Perpetration Risk

  Offer confidential help to adults worried about their own behavior—or that of someone they know—through programs like Stop It Now!, and change community norms to reduce risk before harm occurs.

Although we know a lot already, we need more rigorous research to continue building, testing, and refining prevention strategies like these. Every dollar we invest in evidence-based violence prevention is a down payment on a safer future.

Closing Thoughts

The survivors who testified today should never have had to live through what they endured. Their courage in speaking out is a gift—and a challenge to us.

We already know a great deal about how to prevent sexual violence, trafficking, and abuse. The question is whether we will choose to act on that knowledge. Prevention is not a dream. It’s a roadmap we’ve already begun to chart.

If we want to honor survivors, we can’t just listen. We must build a future where fewer people are harmed in the first place. That means investing in prevention—now.