Democratic lawmakers, Giuffre family and Epstein survivors introduce Virginia’s Law

Congressional Democrats have introduced legislation aimed at eliminating the statute of limitations that has shielded sex traffickers such as the late financier Jeffrey Epstein.

The proposal, dubbed "Virginia's Law" after prominent accuser Virginia Giuffre, who died by suicide last year, was announced on Tuesday by Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer and Rep. Teresa Leger Fernandez alongside Epstein victims andGiuffre's family.

The new bill would specifically end the statute of limitations for adult victims or their survivors bringing civil actions, which would include many of Epstein's alleged victims. It also broadens victims' legal recourse in additional ways, covering applicable sex crimes committed beyond US soil if a US court holds jurisdiction.

The bill's fate in the Senate and House of Representatives, both controlled by Republicans, remains unclear.

However, a bipartisan effort was successful last year to compel the Department of Justice to release all unclassified Epstein files. This push for transparency and accountability for victims of his abuse has led to oversight investigations and the passage of the Epstein files law, despite his death in 2019.

Speaking at a press conference in the U.S. Capitol, a teary-eyed Sky Roberts, Giuffre's brother, stated, "Virginia's dream was to inspire and empower survivors to come forward in a world that too often turns away from abuse and pushes it into the shadows. She wanted to bring light."

When questioned about a photograph showing former UK Prince Andrew with his arm around Giuffre, Roberts asserted: "I think he should show up in front of our Congress. He has a lot of questions he needs to answer."

The Department of Justice has since released nearly 3.5 million pages of documents, though some files are heavily redacted. Members of Congress began reviewing unredacted files on Monday, and Schumer has been calling for all the unreleased files, which he said number in the millions, to also be made public.

In related developments, Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell was interviewed virtually by the House Oversight Committee on Monday in a private deposition. Maxwell, who was found guilty in 2021 for her role in helping Epstein sexually abuse teenage girls and is serving a 20-year prison sentence, reportedly refused to answer questions. Separately, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton are scheduled to testify behind closed doors in the committee's Epstein investigation later this month.