Marina Lacerda, a 37-year-old survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse, says releasing thousands of unreleased documents about the financier could bring her and other survivors "closure" - but first, they need to see justice served.
Lacerda's own story is one of tragedy. At just 14, she was recruited by Epstein to give him massages at his Manhattan townhouse, a gig that turned out to be a recruitment ploy to lure more young victims into his abuse network. She recounts the traumatic experience in detail, describing how Epstein used her vulnerability - including financial and immigration troubles that he exploited - to control her.
Epstein's abuse of Lacerda lasted until she was 17, with him threatening her if she spoke out or sought help. Her story is one of many that highlight the scope of Epstein's depravity and his connections to powerful people, including former President Donald Trump, who has been accused of knowing more about Epstein's behavior than he admits.
Lacerda's decision to come forward and speak publicly was sparked by the memorial for Virginia Giuffre, another young woman who was repeatedly abused by Epstein and took her own life after naming him as one of her abusers. The inspiration behind Lacerda's speech - urging Trump to release the full files on Epstein - is clear: to see justice served and for survivors like herself to have their voices heard.
The issue has become a partisan battle, with Republicans and Democrats blaming each other for delays in releasing the files. But for Lacerda and other survivors, it's not about whose fault it is - it's just about seeing some semblance of closure, as they've been living in fear for far too long.
Trump's opposition to releasing all of Epstein's files has raised eyebrows among lawmakers and advocates for survivors. The former president has claimed there's "nothing" to be released, but Lacerda disputes that assertion, saying the documents contain vital information about how many others were targeted by Epstein.
For now, Lacerda is just hoping that her story - like those of countless other victims - will finally get some airtime and that justice can begin to be served.
Lacerda's own story is one of tragedy. At just 14, she was recruited by Epstein to give him massages at his Manhattan townhouse, a gig that turned out to be a recruitment ploy to lure more young victims into his abuse network. She recounts the traumatic experience in detail, describing how Epstein used her vulnerability - including financial and immigration troubles that he exploited - to control her.
Epstein's abuse of Lacerda lasted until she was 17, with him threatening her if she spoke out or sought help. Her story is one of many that highlight the scope of Epstein's depravity and his connections to powerful people, including former President Donald Trump, who has been accused of knowing more about Epstein's behavior than he admits.
Lacerda's decision to come forward and speak publicly was sparked by the memorial for Virginia Giuffre, another young woman who was repeatedly abused by Epstein and took her own life after naming him as one of her abusers. The inspiration behind Lacerda's speech - urging Trump to release the full files on Epstein - is clear: to see justice served and for survivors like herself to have their voices heard.
The issue has become a partisan battle, with Republicans and Democrats blaming each other for delays in releasing the files. But for Lacerda and other survivors, it's not about whose fault it is - it's just about seeing some semblance of closure, as they've been living in fear for far too long.
Trump's opposition to releasing all of Epstein's files has raised eyebrows among lawmakers and advocates for survivors. The former president has claimed there's "nothing" to be released, but Lacerda disputes that assertion, saying the documents contain vital information about how many others were targeted by Epstein.
For now, Lacerda is just hoping that her story - like those of countless other victims - will finally get some airtime and that justice can begin to be served.
it's crazy how powerful people like Trump can just brush off their connections to Epstein and think they're above the law 
anyway i hope more ppl start listening to survivors like her and take action against people who prey on vulnerable kids like Marina was 
. Can we please just focus on the fact that Marina Lacerda's experience is still being treated like it's not enough? I mean, she was just a teenager when Epstein started manipulating her, and now she's 37 and STILL living in fear of his associates 
. The fact that Trump is playing dumb about his knowledge of Epstein's behavior is just infuriating 
. We need to be holding our leaders accountable for their silence on this issue, not making it a partisan battle 
. It's time for some real action to bring closure to these survivors, not just empty words 
.
I feel so bad for Marina Lacerda and all the other survivors of Jeffrey Epstein's abuse... it's like they've been living in a never-ending nightmare 
. They deserve closure, not just some piecemeal release of documents 
. Can't we just see justice served here? It's not about who's to blame or which party is right, it's about those poor girls being believed and protected 
. I mean, thousands of unreleased docs are stuck behind some bureaucratic red tape 
... what a waste! We need to get these files out ASAP and give the survivors some peace of mind 
.
I feel so sorry for Marina Lacerda and all the survivors of Epstein's abuse 
. It's like they're living in a nightmare and it's taking forever for anyone to wake up and do something about it 
. I mean, what's the point of having documents that can bring closure if no one is going to take action? 
. We need to start holding people accountable for their actions and making sure justice is served 
. Until then, I feel like we're just going through the motions and not really getting anywhere 
. It's been 20+ years since Epstein was arrested & it's still a mess 
. I hope Lacerda gets the justice she deserves 
I'm not sure why we're making such a big deal about releasing these documents anyway. Like, what's the real issue here? Is it just about closure for Marina Lacerda or are there some bigger fish to fry? 
I mean, I get that she's going through trauma and all that, but can't we focus on getting justice first? 
And let's be real, if Trump is trying to hide something, it's probably because he wants to keep his reputation intact. Not exactly the most convincing argument for transparency 
.
it's all about closure, man. for marina lacerda and the others, seeing some semblance of justice and having their voices heard is all that matters. we should be supporting her, not debating who's right or wrong 
if releasing these docs can help bring those responsible to book, then let's do it 
meanwhile, we can't turn a blind eye to what happened. we owe it to them to listen and learn from their stories 
millions of ppl sufferin cuz epstein's network & now he's still tryna cover his tracks? like, closure is somethin Lacerda needs n more than just empty promises from politicians... justice matters, ppl 
](https://i.imgur.com/vfj2Q0K.jpg)
](https://i.imgur.com/HXnHb3t.jpg)
but we need to see some serious action taken too, like actual consequences for epstein's friends and associates who knew about this stuff 
It'll be a huge relief when they're finally released and we can start seeing some real progress in justice being served. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Marina and all the other survivors - they deserve closure 
.
. I wish more people would listen to survivors like Marina & others who came forward too...it's not just about closure, it's about making sure this doesn't happen again. Can we please get some answers?! 
releasing those documents would finally bring some closure for survivors like her & others who've been silenced for too long 
. And can you believe Donald Trump thinks he can hide behind his "nothing" claims 
. I'm hoping that by speaking out, Lacerda can help bring some much-needed change 
. We should all be supporting her and the other survivors, not questioning their motivations or validity 
Let's focus on healing and justice, not playing politics 
.
the other day... she's got this amazing cherry blossom tree that blooms every spring, it's so beautiful! Anyway, back to Marina Lacerda... I feel so bad for her and all the others who've gone through what she's been through. It's crazy how some people can get away with this stuff, you know? Like, Trump's whole thing about "nothing" being released is just wild 
. It's crazy how much power Jeffrey Epstein had, and how he was able to manipulate people like her to do his dirty work 
. I feel for the other girls who were abused by him too, like Virginia Giuffre 
. I hope Marina's story can finally get some airtime and that someone in power listens to her and takes action 
.