Epstein abuse survivor Virginia Giuffre wanted files released before her death, family says
"She had a little bit of hope in her because it was said that the files were going to be released," Amanda Roberts, Giuffre's sister-in-law, said in an interview Thursday, adding that she thinks Giuffre would have wanted "transparency and justice."
"She was fighting for that to happen right up until the very end," Roberts said. "She wanted the public to know the crimes that they had committed."
In recent weeks, Giuffre has been in the headlines amid a renewed push for the release of a trove of documents that allegedly detail the years of abuse by Epstein and his longtime partner Ghislaine Maxwell.
"We've constantly had to relive, since my sister's passing, these things from her past," said Danny Wilson, one of Giuffre's brothers.
Asked specifically Tuesday whether Giuffre was among the people Epstein had "stolen" from the spa at Mar-a-Lago, his estate in Palm Beach, Florida, President Donald Trump said: "I think that was one of the people. He stole her."
Giuffre was a locker room attendant at the Florida club in the summer of 2000, when she was 16.
The White House has said Trump kicked Epstein out of Mar-a-Lago "for being a creep."
Epstein died in what was ruled a suicide in a New York jail in 2019 while he was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges.
Sky Roberts, Giuffre's other brother, said the family was "shocked" by Trump's use of the word "stolen" to describe their sister. He said it makes him wonder how much Trump knew about what Epstein was doing.
"She's not an object; she's a person," he said through tears. "She's a mom. She's a sister. And she was recruited by Maxwell. She wasn't stolen."
Trump was asked last week about pardoning Maxwell and responded that he hadn't thought about it but that he's "allowed to do it."
Maxwell's attorney, David Oscar Markus, did not respond to a request for comment Thursday about the interview. Last week, Markus said there had been "no asks and no promises" about clemency but added that his client "would welcome any relief."
Giuffre's family urged Trump in a statement not to pardon Maxwell, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence for her role recruiting and trafficking minors for sex.
The family said they put out the statement because Trump "invoked" their sister's name and that in her absence they felt they needed to represent her wishes.
Lanette Wilson, Giuffre's sister-in-law, said Thursday a pardon of Maxwell would be an "abomination," because "our sister always told us that Maxwell was even worse than Epstein."
A senior administration official told NBC News on Wednesday that "no leniency is being given or discussed." The family said Thursday that they are relieved the administration does not appear to be exploring that option for Maxwell.
Sky Roberts said a pardon would "unwind everything that my sister and all the survivors fought for."
Amanda Roberts said: "It's really important that we create a culture ... for victims and survivors to come forward, to protect them, to trust them and believe them. Survivors deserve the space to be heard always, and that if you were to let [Maxwell] free, it would be silencing them all over again, and that is not a culture that any of us want."
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or go to 988lifeline.org, to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
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