Thank you, Ariel.
As a result of this new law, victims of childhood sexual abuse
whose voices were never heard and whose stories were never
told have now been given a new chance to come forward, to
share their experiences, and to vindicate their rights;
All of these goals are wholeheartedly shared by our Office,
which is committed to using the federal criminal law to the
maximum extent possible to investigate and prosecute those
who sexually abuse and traffic minors.
As many of you know, several months ago our Office brought
criminal sex trafficking charges against Jeffrey Epstein, a serial
predator.
To bring that prosecution, we relied on the courage of many
young women who were victimized as minors and who were
willing -- years after their abuse — to share their stories. And
while Epstein committed suicide before he could face trial, our
investigation into his co-conspirators continues.
I have said publicly before, we can only do the work we do with
the assistance of victims willing to come forward.
By providing victims of childhood sexual abuse with a new
opportunity to be heard, this law marks not only an important
step for victims' rights but will help facilitate the work of law
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enforcement in identifying and prosecuting those who prey on
our most vulnerable.
I want to thank Safe Horizon for inviting me to this important
event. As the country's largest victim services organization,
Safe Horizon provides support on a daily basis to victims of
human trafficking, sexual assault, and child exploitation. This
work is incredibly important -- and incredibly challenging.
Our Office knows that it takes great courage for victims of
trafficking and assault to report their experiences to law
enforcement. It also takes coordination, trust, and
partnerships between service providers like Safe Horizon and
prosecutors.
For years, our Office has received case referrals from Safe
Horizon and we look forward to continuing our partnership to
hold traffickers and predators accountable and to seek justice
for victims of violence.
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