Jeffrey Epstein sexually abused many young girls in New York, Florida, and elsewhere. While he committed suicide in prison in 2019, his estate has now come to an agreement to offer a crime victims fund for women who were victimized by Epstein. The fund opened on June 18, and more than 100 women are expected to file claims.
What does the fund do?
The Epstein Victims’ Compensation Fund was established to allow sexual abuse victims to recover compensation from Epstein’s estate, which is estimated to be worth $630 million. Women who file claims with the fund will have their evidence evaluated. If their claims are approved, they will receive compensation. However, women who receive compensation from the fund will not be allowed to pursue litigation against Epstein’s estate or any of its former employees.
The bar against filing lawsuits against former employees may extend to lawsuits against Ghislaine Maxwell. The estate indicated that it would likely classify her as a former employee. Many victims have alleged that Maxwell actively participated in their abuse and helped Epstein to procure girls to victimize. Participating in the fund would not prevent women from pursuing litigation against people to whom they were trafficked or from speaking publicly about what happened to them.
People who were victimized as children may be eligible to file New York Child Victims Act sex abuse claims. This law temporarily lifted the statute of limitations to allow people to pursue litigation against the perpetrators of their abuse even if it occurred decades ago. Child sexual abuse victims may want to talk to experienced attorneys as soon as possible about what happened to them. A lawyer might help his or her client to file a claim so that he or she might hold the abuser accountable for his or her actions.
