Marina Lacerda was just 14 when she first encountered Jeffrey Epstein in New York City in 2002. Recruited under the guise of providing massages at his luxurious townhouse, she endured years of sexual abuse and coercion until she was nearly 18. As a key witness in the 2019 federal investigation that led to Epstein’s sex trafficking charges, Lacerda—once known anonymously as “Minor Victim-1″—has emerged as one of his youngest publicly identified survivors. Now 37, she has become a fierce advocate for transparency, demanding unflinching accountability for Epstein’s enablers.
The recent release of Epstein-related files by the U.S. Department of Justice, mandated by the bipartisan Epstein Files Transparency Act, has reignited hope for justice among survivors. Yet, for Lacerda and others, the heavily redacted documents represent a profound betrayal. “It’s another slap in the face,” Lacerda told reporters shortly after the initial trove was made public in mid-December 2025. “We expected way more.” She described the redactions as excessive, insisting many go beyond protecting victims’ identities—the primary allowance under the law—and appear designed to shield powerful figures.
Lacerda’s criticism echoes a broader outcry from survivors. In interviews with outlets like the BBC, The New York Times, and Sky News, she argued that unnecessary blackouts obscure evidence of Epstein’s vast network. “A lot of redactions were unnecessary and powerful men were being protected,” she stated. Photos deemed “irrelevant” were released while critical details remained hidden, fueling suspicions of selective disclosure. Other victims, including those abused in their teens, have similarly decried the process, noting entire pages blacked out and victim statements missing or unsearchable.
Epstein’s crimes, uncovered in investigations dating back to 2005, involved dozens of underage girls, some as young as 14, groomed for sexual exploitation. His 2008 plea deal—widely criticized as lenient—and 2019 arrest exposed institutional failures, but his suicide in custody left many questions unanswered. The Transparency Act aimed to rectify this by compelling full disclosure, yet delays, inconsistencies, and over-redactions have drawn bipartisan rebuke. Lawmakers like Rep. Thomas Massie and Rep. Ro Khanna have accused the DOJ of stalling, while survivors highlight ironic errors: some victim names left unredacted, causing further harm.
For Lacerda, who waived anonymity to speak out, the fight is personal. Coerced into recruiting others and threatened to stay silent, she views full transparency as essential for healing and prevention. “We’ve been left behind since day one,” she said. “We’re tired of it.” As additional batches—including over a million newly discovered documents—are processed, survivors like Lacerda demand unfiltered truth. Only then, they argue, can accountability extend beyond Epstein to those who escaped scrutiny, ensuring no more young lives are shattered in silence.
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