Five women who say they were abused by Jeffrey Epstein met on camera for the first time in a BBC Newsnight session to share how the crimes still shape their lives.
One of them, Joanna Harrison, said she had kept silent for years but was forced into the open when US government files were published with insufficient redactions.
That disclosure stripped her of anonymity and pushed her to speak.
The reunion was emotional: the survivors hugged, cried and studied photographs from the periods when they first met Epstein.
Over hours of conversation they revisited specific places and moments that remain deeply painful.
Harrison described meeting Epstein as a young adult and said what began as a routine massage turned into assault, including an episode she says occurred on his birthday.
She told Newsnight she doubts the dead man will ever answer the questions she still carries.
Chauntae Davies brought previously unseen images of travel on Epstein’s private jet, a whirlwind humanitarian-style trip spanning several countries.
Those photos include known associates such as Ghislaine Maxwell, and show public figures who were on the plane; Davies says she was later raped on Epstein’s island after being hired to give massages.
Davies recalled giving a neck-and-back treatment to former president Bill Clinton during a refuelling stop, a moment Clinton has said he does not recall witnessing any abuse.
The programme noted that names appearing in the files do not automatically imply criminal conduct.
The women described Epstein’s New Mexico property, Zorro Ranch, as a place where many assaults took place.
New Mexico authorities have revived an investigation into the ranch after material in the Justice Department files prompted renewed scrutiny.
Several survivors spoke about Epstein’s habit of surrounding himself with influential people and accumulating leverage.
Lisa Phillips recounted an episode involving a friend who said she was directed to have sex with a man she identified as Prince Andrew; he has denied wrongdoing and has faced separate inquiries related to his ties with Epstein.
Phillips and others said Epstein collected compromising material and used it to control people.
They described his apparent satisfaction in seeing victims stunned and frightened — a dynamic that, they say, fed the abuse.
The group also challenged the official account of Epstein’s death in 2019.
Found dead in a New York federal jail cell while awaiting trial, his death was ruled a suicide, but several survivors told Newsnight they remain unconvinced.
Two of the women, Jena Lisa Jones and Wendy Pesante, first met Epstein when they were 14.
They described the long-term psychological toll: looking at old photos left them changed, and they said their ability to smile and trust the world was diminished.
BBC Newsnight will air the full interview for viewers in the UK.
The survivors who spoke say they want answers and accountability, and they warned that many questions about Epstein’s network and those around him are still unresolved.
