People can judge survivors and say we should have done more to speak out or that we should name more names. Doing so threatens a group of wealthy, well-respected powerbrokers with influential friends and lawyers trained to silence accusers.

I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. I’ve had my dignity stripped from me. I’ve had to question my own mind, my own thoughts. I have been ridiculed by lawyers and ignored by law enforcement. I tried to kill myself twice throughout this. The first time was when Epstein’s lawyers, including Kenneth Starr and Alan Dershowitz, made a secret deal with Miami’s U.S. Attorney Alexander Acosta that protected Epstein from federal charges and allowed him to work at his office during the day throughout his 18-month sentence for state crimes. Acosta later became Trump’s labor secretary.

I think a lot of survivors don’t come forward because it’s one thing for a stranger to judge you, but it’s another when your loved ones join the victim shaming and law enforcement says you don’t qualify as a victim because of your age. The re-traumatization can undermine your efforts at recovery. I know it did mine.