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During a recent hearing, a survivor of Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse recounted her harrowing experience to US lawmakers. The woman, known as Roza, revealed that Epstein assaulted her while he was under house arrest following his 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. This marked her first public testimony, delivered at a field hearing organized by Democratic members of the US House Oversight Committee in West Palm Beach.

Roza shared that she was lured from Uzbekistan as a teenager by Jean-Luc Brunel, an associate of Epstein and modeling agent, who promised her a modeling career. "Coming from a financially unstable background, I was an easy target for manipulation," she explained during her emotional address. She met Brunel in 2008 and traveled to New York on a visa in May 2009. Just two months later, she was introduced to Epstein at his West Palm Beach residence while he was serving his house arrest. Epstein offered her a position at his Florida Science Foundation to assist with her financial struggles. "One day, his masseuse summoned me to his room, where I was molested for the first time by Jeffrey," she recounted. "For the next three years, I endured continuous rape."

The hearing, led by Congressman Robert Garcia, was strategically held in West Palm Beach, the location where Epstein's crimes first gained public attention. Garcia pointed out that the hearing took place near President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Although the House Oversight Committee is predominantly Republican, Democratic members have increasingly scrutinized the Trump administration's management of Epstein-related documents. While the hearing lacked formal legal authority, it aimed to maintain focus on the case and gather testimonies from survivors regarding how Epstein and his associates evaded accountability for years.

Epstein passed away in a New York prison cell on August 10, 2019, while awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges. A report released by Democratic members of the oversight committee indicated that a controversial plea deal negotiated by Epstein's legal team in 2008 allowed him to "continue his abuse and trafficking activities for almost another decade."

Roza expressed her feelings of hopelessness regarding justice, noting that the abuse persisted even while Epstein was in custody. She later sought assistance but was re-traumatized when her name was inadvertently disclosed in documents released by the US Department of Justice. "Now, reporters from around the world reach out to me. I live in constant fear. I can only imagine the long-term effects this ‘mistake’ will have on my life," she stated. The Department of Justice has previously asserted its commitment to victim protection and acknowledged that identities were revealed in some Epstein-related documents due to "technical or human error." Another survivor, Maria Farmer, also addressed lawmakers through a recorded message, stating that she first reported Epstein’s misconduct in 1996 and accused law enforcement of failing to take action. "The government needs to start telling the truth," she urged.