Victims of Jeffrey Epstein have shared emotional accounts of sexual abuse as they called for lawmakers to release more files about the convicted sex offender on the steps of the US Capitol.
One of the women, Lisa Phillips, said the group had begun compiling a confidential list of Epstein associates who they say were involved in abuse.
We will confidentially compile the names we all know were regularly in the Epstein world, she said. It will be done by survivors, and for survivors.
The event was organised by US lawmakers who are calling for more files from the Epstein investigation to be released publicly.
During the two-hour news conference on Wednesday, nine female Epstein accusers detailed their experiences and abuse at the hands of the disgraced financier.
Ms Phillips urged the US Department of Justice (DoJ) to release all the documents and information it has from the investigation, adding that many victims were afraid of repercussions if they went public with names themselves.
A lawyer for the accusers said that they were scared of being sued or attacked because nobody protected them the first time.
Marina Lacerda, speaking publicly for the first time, said she worked for Epstein from the age of 14 until she was 17, when the disgraced financier determined she was too old.
I was one of dozens of girls that I personally know who were forced into Jeffrey's mansion... in New York City when we were just kids, she said.
A friend of mine in the neighbourhood told me that I could make $300 to give another guy a massage, Lacerda said, while becoming visibly emotional. It went from a dream job to the worst nightmare.
Liz Stein, who sued Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell, and who now works as a survivor mentor and policy adviser, told the BBC that she spoke at the Capitol rally to humanise survivors because she was tired of them being ignored.
It's really important for us all to remember that this is a crime. It's a crime of sex trafficking. This isn't a political issue, but it's being politicised because of the people involved, Ms Stein said.
Annie Farmer, 46, said at the rally that she was taken to New Mexico aged 16 to spend a weekend with Epstein. Her sister was also flown there and reported the abuse, she said, but nothing was done.
We still do not know why that report wasn't properly investigated, or why Epstein and his associates were allowed to harm hundreds, if not thousands, of other girls and young women, she said.
Chauntae Davies addressed a question about the relationship between Trump and Epstein, saying the sex offender's biggest brag forever was that he was very good friends with Donald Trump.
However, during an NBC panel discussion with a group of survivors, none of the women said they ever saw or heard of Trump doing anything inappropriate related to Epstein.
Donald Trump commented that the inquiry is a Democrat hoax that never ends, asserting that the constant demands for documents are distracting from his record in office.
Recent reports indicate that 33,000 pages and several videos were made public by the House of Representatives Oversight Committee; however, the majority were already available.
One committee member remarked, There is no mention of any client list or anything that improves transparency or justice for victims.
Lawmakers are now working to ensure that all documents related to the case are released, alongside calls for comprehensive investigations into the systemic abuse surrounding Epstein.
