Below is a statement from Kristina Rose, former director of the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime, in response to today’s story about DOJ’s possible exposure of victim and witness identities, from WSJ reporter Sadie Gurman: “FBI Pushes to Release Epstein Files With Some Details on Victims, Witnesses Left In.” Rose is an active member of Justice Connection’s alumni network and a nationally renowned expert on crime victims and trauma.
“Revealing personally identifiable information from the Epstein files without the victims’ permission or consultation is a shocking betrayal of trust and an appalling violation of the Justice Department’s own policies,” said Kristina Rose, former director of the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. “The Justice Department has a solemn responsibility to protect the private information of crime victims and witnesses. Failing to do so can cause unnecessary trauma and anguish, and compromise victim safety—even the tiniest amount of personal information can be easily traced back to them.”
Justice Connection implores the Department of Justice to stop the release of any information that could reveal the identities of crime victims or witnesses.