More than a dozen of Jeffrey Epstein’s accusers had their day in court on Tuesday afternoon — or what amounted to it after the alleged sex trafficker’s suicide earlier this month — as U.S. District Judge Richard Berman weighed whether to officially dismiss charges against the dead disgraced financier.
Epstein’s victims and their representatives implored prosecutors to go after those who conspired and enabled Epstein’s alleged crimes and his defense attorneys urged further investigation of Epstein’s “stunning” death in federal custody on August 10.
Courtney Wild, who alleges that she was sexually abused by Epstein, 66, in Florida when she was 14, called him a “coward.”
“Justice has never been served in this case,” she said during an emotional statement.
Virginia Roberts Giuffre, who has said she was a 15-year-old working at President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago club when she was recruited to perform sex acts on Epstein, said, “My hopes were quickly dashed and my dreams were stolen.”
Sarah Ransome, another victim that said she was pressured by Epstein into having sex with him when she was in her early 20s, urged prosecutors to pursue the case despite the financier’s death.
“Finish what you started … We are survivors and the pursuit of justice should not abate.”
Related: Epstein: A Life by the Numbers
Several other victims spoke out, many of whom implicated socialite Ghislaine Maxwell (shown above right) as Epstein’s co-conspirator.
Maxwell, 57, allegedly provided Epstein with underage sex slaves.
Court documents recently alleged that Maxwell, who is the daughter of the late, disgraced publishing tycoon Robert Maxwell, also participated in threesomes with Epstein and underage girls, according to multiple women who have come forward in the case.
Berman called the 66-year-old Epstein’s suicide a “rather stunning turn of events.”
Paulina Dedaj is a writer-reporter for Fox News. Fox News’ Hollie McKay and the Associated Press contributed to this Fox News report, which is used by permission.
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