An early accuser of Jeffrey Epstein filed a lawsuit towards the federal authorities this week, alleging that the FBI did “absolutely nothing” to guard her and different victims after she reported the abuse – in the end permitting the convicted intercourse offender and his affiliate Ghislaine Maxwell to proceed exploiting younger ladies for years.
According to the lawsuit, filed within the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, Maria Farmer says she first reported Epstein and Maxwell in 1996, claiming she had been sexually assaulted by the pair, who she claims had additionally “committed multiple serious sex crimes” towards different ladies.
Farmer alleged they had been in “possession, production, and distribution of sexually lascivious or exploitative images of children,” together with her minor sisters – allegations that may represent baby pornography beneath federal legislation.
But regardless of the severity of the alleged claims, the FBI did not take motion, in response to the lawsuit that accuses the Justice Department, U.S. Attorney’s Offices, and the FBI of negligence and negligent infliction of emotional misery.
“The FBI, in violation of its mandatory obligations under regulations and DOJ policies, chose to do absolutely nothing,” the lawsuit states, with Farmer and her legal professional additionally alleging that an FBI agent hung up on her and nobody from the company ever adopted up on her experiences.
A failure to take motion meant that Epstein “exponentially multiplied his sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking of girls and young women,” in response to the lawsuit obtained by NBC News.
Farmer additionally suffered from complicated PTSD, despair, nervousness and power sickness on account of the alleged abuse and the FBI’s failure to guard her.
“As a result of Epstein’s and Maxwell’s misconduct and the FBI’s failures, Maria’s health and well-being deteriorated and spiraled downward.”
“It is time for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to address their grotesque failures regarding Jeffrey Epstein, and to finally deliver the transparency and accountability that the victims and the American public deserve,” the lawsuit states.
The FBI declined to touch upon the lawsuit, citing its customary observe to not touch upon litigation.
Farmer’s legal professional Jennifer Freeman stated the U.S. violated the Federal Tort Claims Act, which permits folks to sue the federal government for damages attributable to negligence of their staff.
“Had the federal government done their job, hundreds of victims would have been spared,” Freeman instructed NBC News.
In a 2019 lawsuit, Farmer had alleged she had been “violently sexually assaulted” by Epstein and Maxwell whereas engaged on an artwork venture at Epstein’s Ohio visitor home in 1996. Her sister filed a lawsuit the identical 12 months, accusing Maxwell of groping her breasts when she was 16 and alleging the pair had groomed her, NBC News reported.
Both lawsuits had been withdrawn in 2020 as a part of a deal to simply accept restitution from a victims’ compensation fund paid out by Epstein’s property.
The millionaire financier, who socialized with royalty and celebrities, was accused of operating a big community of underage ladies for intercourse.
Epstein confronted a slew of intercourse trafficking and conspiracy expenses. While awaiting trial, he died by suicide contained in the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Manhattan in 2019.
In 2019, Maxwell was convicted on intercourse trafficking expenses and sentenced to twenty years in jail.
Last month, greater than 100 folks had been named in authorized paperwork linked to Epstein.
The disclosure of the court docket information included the names of victims, associates and associates of the intercourse offender and Maxwell – though many others could have no direct hyperlink to Epstein.
The authorized paperwork, which relate to a defamation lawsuit introduced towards Maxwell in 2015 and had been printed beneath a decide’s order, had been first launched in three tranches in January 2024 and didn’t shed a lot new gentle on the case, together with many names that had already beforehand been made public.
The listing, which included Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton, in addition to Virginia Giuffre, who accused Epstein of trafficking her to Andrew when she was 17, one thing the prince has strenuously denied, in addition to members of her household and numerous associates. Giuffre died by suicide on April 26, 2025 on the age of 41 at her dwelling in Neergabby, Australia.
Being named in these paperwork doesn’t point out any wrongdoing associated to Epstein or anybody else. The listing contains a lot of Epstein’s accusers and alleged victims, in addition to folks with solely tangential connections to Epstein who had been pulled into the lawsuit towards Maxwell.
Prince Andrew seems prominently, with the paperwork mentioning a beforehand reported accusation that he groped Johanna Sjoberg, which he denies.
Former US presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump are additionally named, with neither accused of wrongdoing.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/epstein-accuser-lawsuit-fbi-b2761070.html