Giuffre's family, Epstein survivors back 'Virginia's Law': 'Justice should not expire'
Survivors of Jeffrey Epstein came to Capitol Hill on Tuesday to support lawmakers as they introduced 'Virginia's Law' -- a measure to help victims sue alleged sex abusers by making it more difficult for them to evade lawsuits.
The bill, named after Virginia Giuffre, Jeffrey Epstein’s most high-profile accuser, would remove the statute of limitations - the time in which a lawsuit can be filed -- in sexual abuse civil cases nationwide while also creating new legal options for survivors.
"People refuse to accept silence at the end of the story. It's that simple," Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, a co-sponsor, said.
"It cannot be, when something this dastardly and this terrible and this heart wrenching happens for years," he said.
The bill also includes language stripping what supporters called legal loopholes for alleged abusers operating in different jurisdictions, citing Epstein's use of his private Caribbean island as a case in point.
"Survivors of Epstein's abuse were ignored. They were doubted, they were silenced, they were dismissed," Schumer said. "And even when the truth finally came out, even when the world finally listened, too many survivors were still told by the law, it's too late."
States have varying rules that disallow abuse survivors from bringing civil cases if too much time passes. For example, Alabama has a two-year civil statute of limitations, which can be extended if the victim is a minor, while Texas has no limit on when a case can be brought.
Schumer argues Virginia's Law gives survivors of abuse across the nation the time to process traumatic events before bringing civil cases and removes automatic protections for abusers who wait out legal deadlines to file suit.
"That's a system that protects abusers by waiting survivors out. Our law, Virginia's Law changes that," Schumer said. "It allows survivors to seek accountability when they're ready, when they're strong, supportive, able to face the weight of civilizations, of civil litigation, sometimes it takes years to recuperate from the horror that occurred."
Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer representing several Epstein survivors, agreed with Schumer that the current limitations are too strict for victims and should be much more flexible.
"Many survivors don't come to terms with their abuse until many, many years later, and they deserve the right to be able to bring an action when they're ready. That's what this law does," McCawley said.
"It is heartbreaking to be here announcing this without [Virginia], but I will tell you that her voice is being heard loud and clear," she said.
"She is saying all Americans, Democrats, Republicans, independents, all Americans need to come together and pass this law. It's the right thing to do. It's the thing we need to do now," she said.
Holding a photograph of Virginia Giuffre, her family members stood with survivors.
Giuffre's brother, Sky Roberts, and his wife both got emotional as they honored her.
Roberts spoke through tears.
"I want to begin with a single word, a word that meant everything to my sister, a word we will not stop fighting for until real justice is served and that word is 'change,'" he said.
"We are holding an overwhelming mix of grief, loss and pride, and if our voices shake and our tears fall, it is only because of the depth of our love for our sister," he said. "Grief without action is another kind of silence, and Virginia did not survive what she survived just to be silenced again."
Lawmakers and survivors said they hope Virginia Giuffre's legacy can live on in future investigations into Epstein.
"What Virginia did was build the bridge, and now we are crossing that bridge because of the bravery and the words and the wisdom, and I'm sorry for the loss of Virginia, where she has left something so powerful for all victims,” Rep. Teresa Leger Fernández, another co-sponsor, said.
